Southern California Jurisdictions Share Their BPS Progress at Net Zero Conference
As California accelerates toward its ambitious decarbonization goals, Building Performance Standards (BPS) are becoming a key policy tool – one poised to transform how jurisdictions measure and manage energy use across the state’s building sector. In October, BPS was one of multiple topics covered at the Net Zero Conference in Los Angeles, where a cross-section of policymakers, designers, energy managers, and climate advocates convened to explore how visions of a zero-carbon future can become reality. Other topics included embodied carbon reduction, all-electric systems, resilience planning , equity, and community engagement.
Conference Highlight: BPS Momentum in Southern California
During the conference session on BPS, three local jurisdictions from California unpacked how they are navigating policy development amidst the complex intersection of building benchmarking, Climate Action Plan emissions targets, equity considerations, and enforcement mechanisms. Sustainability staff from West Hollywood, Santa Monica, and Los Angeles County presented their goals, progress, and challenges in developing BPS policies.
West Hollywood’s draft BPS applies to buildings over 20,000 square feet and offers two compliance options: the Building Performance Pathway, which requires properties to meet specific site energy use intensity (EUI) and greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI) targets and the Building Performance Action Plan Pathway, which allows owners to submit a tailored improvement plan outlining measures and timelines to achieve future performance targets. There is also a penalty fee for non-compliance.
Santa Monica’s draft BPS builds on decades of progressive green building policy, requiring continuous energy efficiency improvements and electrification readiness in larger buildings. Like West Hollywood, Santa Monica’s policy provides multiple compliance pathways. With building emissions accounting for 34% of total emissions in Santa Monica, BPS is slated to be the city’s highest-impact climate policy yet.
Continuing the momentum in Southern California, Los Angeles County’s draft BPS will extend performance standards to unincorporated areas, aligning local implementation with state carbon neutrality objectives to create a model for regional coordination. The County’s draft policy, still under development, brings to light the critical step of data verification to ensure the performance standard has the biggest impact.
Conclusion
The progress from jurisdictions in Southern California and across the state offers a real-time snapshot of what BPS looks like in practice: the challenges of designing equitable compliance pathways, opportunities for alignment with electrification and retrofit programs, and the importance of data transparency and stakeholder engagement.
By advancing BPS, West Hollywood, Santa Monica, and Los Angeles County are leading a powerful shift in how cities approach building decarbonization – achieving significant climate gains from a relatively small share of buildings. Their policies demonstrate how data-driven targets, flexible compliance pathways, and local support programs can accelerate energy efficiency while improving building comfort, resilience, and long-term value. As more California cities look to adopt similar standards, these jurisdictions are setting a statewide precedent for how targeted local action can deliver transformative results for both communities and climate.
Their work provides a roadmap for other California jurisdictions preparing to craft or implement their own building performance ordinances – and signals how local action will continue to define the state’s path to net zero.
