A Strong Start, Not the Whole Job

Washington has one of the stronger building performance laws in the country. The catch is that it doesn't reach most buildings.

The Clean Buildings Performance Standard now covers Tier 1 buildings over 50,000 square feet, in effect since June 2026, and Tier 2 buildings over 20,000 square feet, due in July 2027. Helping those buildings actually meet the standard, the benchmarking, the deadlines, the upgrade planning, is the work we do every day at Pilotlight, so we see up close both how real the progress is and how much lift compliance still takes.

But look at what sits outside that line. According to the SCALE 2030 Ecosystem Assessment, 92% of Washington's homes are single-family and low-rise, and almost none of them are covered. Most small commercial buildings aren't either.

That's the gap SCALE 2030 names directly, and it offers a fix. A proposed Tier 3 would finally bring those smaller buildings in, requiring energy labeling and upgrades when they're sold.

A law that covers the biggest buildings is a strong start, but it shouldn't be mistaken for the whole job.