The Washington State Department of Commerce is accepting exemption applications for buildings larger than 220,000 square feet under the Clean Buildings Performance Standard.
Building owners can apply by submitting an application and two supporting documents through the Clean Buildings Portal. A qualified person, as defined by the standard, is not required to submit an exemption application. For a full list of exemptions, refer to the Clean Buildings Performance Standard, Normative Annex Z4.1, or Guidance Document CBPS 004 on Tier 1 compliance through exemption.
Those who do not yet have access to the portal can request it by submitting the Clean Buildings Shared Access Request Form.
To support building owners through the process, Commerce is hosting a webinar on May 5 at 10 a.m. that will walk participants through how to submit an exemption application. The session will cover setting up portal access, gathering required information and completing and signing the application to meet program requirements.
Commerce is also preparing to implement HB 1543, which authorizes the agency to grant compliance extensions. While building owners may be eager to apply, extension rules will not be finalized until after June 1, 2026, the first compliance deadline for buildings over 220,000 square feet.
Extension applications will open once rules are finalized, with additional guidance to follow. Applications for buildings in this size category will be prioritized for review ahead of other groups.
Building owners interested in applying for an extension are encouraged to complete the interest form to receive updates when applications become available. (Remy Kerr)