# St. Louis BEPS Guide: Ord. 71132 Site EUI Targets, Extensions & May 1 Benchmarking

> Canonical URL: https://bcesg.org/st-louis-beps-building-energy-performance-compliance-guide/
> Jurisdiction: St. Louis, MO | Status: Live (May 1 Benchmarking · 4-Year BEPS Site EUI Cycle · 2025/2027 Extensions) | Reviewed: 2026-11-14

**Short answer:** St. Louis operates the Midwest's earliest active municipal Building Energy Performance Standard. Administered by the Office of Building Performance and the Building Energy Improvement Board (BEIB), [Ordinance 71132 (BEPS) and Ordinance 70474 (Building Energy Awareness)](https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/public-safety/building/building-energy-improvement-board/beps-targets.cfm) govern commercial, institutional, municipal, and multifamily properties **>=50,000 sq ft** through annual **May 1** ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager filings and repeating **4-year Site EUI reduction cycles**.

Because St. Louis benchmarks property compliance directly on **Site EUI (kBtu/sq ft)** rather than off-site renewable energy certificates, HVAC optimization, chiller/boiler controls, and heat-pump upgrades generate direct Site EUI improvements — creating an entirely different capital playbook than Missouri peer [Kansas City's disclosure-only Energy Empowerment Ordinance](https://bcesg.org/kansas-city-energy-empowerment-ordinance-benchmarking-guide/).

### Statutory Status at a Glance
- **Covered Scope (>=50,000 sq ft):** Commercial offices, retail, institutional/university properties, city facilities, and multifamily apartments >=50k gross sq ft.
- **Annual May 1 Benchmarking (Ord. 70474):** Ameren Missouri electricity, Spire natural gas, and municipal steam feeds reported annually via Portfolio Manager.
- **4-Year Site EUI Standards (Ord. 71132):** Cycle 1 targets hit May 4, 2025 across standard commercial cohorts, with qualifying affordable residential, non-profit/worship, and BEIB-approved extension plans running through May 2027.
- **Alternate Compliance Options:** Custom baseline targets, multi-building portfolio pathways, and BEIB-approved multi-year Building Improvement Plans for assets facing capital constraints.

## BEIB Extension Paths, Alternative Compliance & Mixed-Use Verification

For >=50,000 sq ft buildings that missed initial Cycle 1 Site EUI goals or carry qualifying affordable/nonprofit extensions running into 2027, early engagement with the Building Energy Improvement Board is decisive. Owners applying for Custom Baselines (e.g., data centers, labs, or 24/7 clinical healthcare) or phased multi-year improvement plans must preserve uninterrupted May 1 benchmarking records so verified Site EUI drops count cleanly.

Confirm Ameren Missouri and Spire whole-building meter coverage before May 1 each spring — missing tenant sub-meters skew Portfolio Manager Site EUI downward on paper or trigger false noncompliance notices.

- **Verify Cycle 1 vs. 2027 Cohort Status:** Confirm on the BEIB portal whether your tax parcel operates under standard Cycle 1 review or a May 2027 extension.
- **No Offset Escape Hatch:** Purchasing off-site RECs does not reduce Weather-Normalized Site EUI under St. Louis Ord. 71132.

| Ordinance & Cycle | Covered Scope | Deadline / Cadence | Compliance Metric |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Building Energy Awareness (Ord. 70474) | Commercial, inst & multifamily >=50k sf | Annual May 1 | ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager disclosure |
| St. Louis BEPS Cycle 1 (Ord. 71132) | Commercial, inst & multifamily >=50k sf | May 2025 / May 2027 ext | Property-type Site EUI targets (65% baseline) |

![Compliance structure of St. Louis BEPS (Ord. 71132) and Building Energy Awareness (Ord. 70474): >=50,000 sq ft May 1 benchmarking and 4-year Site EUI reduction cycles.](https://bcesg.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/infographic-stlouis-beps.png)

## Compliance Execution Checklist

| Step | Owner / Team | Auditable Deliverable |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1. Parcel Target Lookup | Compliance / Ops | Verify building property-type Site EUI goal & 2025/2027 status on BEIB portal. |
| 2. Annual May 1 Filing | Property Manager | Submit Ameren/Spire whole-building PM uploads before May 1 cutoff. |
| 3. BEIB Path Documentation | Engineering / Legal | File ASHRAE/RCx proof or Alternative Compliance Plan where Site EUI lags. |

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How does St. Louis BEPS differ from Kansas City's building energy ordinance?

St. Louis enforces mandatory 4-year Site EUI performance targets (Ord. 71132) alongside annual May 1 benchmarking (Ord. 70474), whereas Kansas City's EEO mandates annual May 1 energy/water benchmarking only without numeric performance limits.

### Can renewable energy certificates satisfy St. Louis BEPS targets?

No. St. Louis Ord. 71132 measures Weather-Normalized Site EUI (kBtu/sq ft), requiring actual building energy efficiency improvements or qualifying BEIB alternative compliance pathways.

## Primary Authorities & Official Resources

- [City of St. Louis Office of Building Performance — BEPS Targets (Ords. 71132 & 70474)](https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/public-safety/building/building-energy-improvement-board/beps-targets.cfm)
- [Kansas City EEO Comparison Guide](https://bcesg.org/kansas-city-energy-empowerment-ordinance-benchmarking-guide/)

*Informational notice: This guide summarizes enacted statutes, regulations, or pending legislative records from the primary authorities linked above as of November 14, 2026. It is not legal, accounting, or licensed engineering advice.*