City of Madison Developing New Commercial Energy Savings Program

There are upcoming opportunities for Madison businesses to provide feedback on a proposed program that would place new energy efficiency requirements on certain buildings in the City of Madison. The proposed Building Energy Savings Program would require commercial buildings 25,000 square feet and larger to annual report building energy use to the City of Madison. For commercial buildings 50,000 square feet or larger, improvement “tune-ups” would need to be reported every four years.

The proposal would currently exempt buildings less than 25,000 square feet, residential buildings, parking lots and garages, as well as buildings used for industrial or manufacturing purposes. For tenant occupied spaces, building owners would need to work with tenants to meet the program requirements. The desired timeline is for the program to be adopted this year with compliance beginning in 2024.

The stated goals of energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions are shared business goals. Taking a mandatory approach to energy benchmarking is not new or innovative and has failed in the past.  

What is Benchmarking? 

In 2013, the city originally proposed mandating energy benchmarking for certain types of buildings in the City of Madison. Energy benchmarking is the practice of comparing a facility’s energy usage to the energy usage of similar facilities to assess opportunities for improvement. When done voluntarily and where the information is confidential, benchmarking can be a useful tool to assess energy management.   

While supportive of energy benchmarking as a practice, the Chamber had several concerns with the proposed mandatory approach. For starters, it would result in required upfront consultant costs to business without producing any actual energy savings. Importantly, employer data is proprietary and must also be protected. In the 2013 proposal, local government would collect the data, allowing for the information to potentially be shared publicly without context of building use and consumption needs. Lastly, the past proposal required businesses to pay for energy audits to verify the collected data is accurate.  

Ultimately, the Chamber’s concerns were addressed with the passage of a substitute proposal that directed the City Engineer to establish a Public/Private Voluntary Benchmarking Program. To date, that legislative requirement has not been pursued.  

What happens next? 

City leaders have emphasized that they want a collaborative process in the development of this new program. Businesses are invited to attend upcoming workshops to gather input on the program design on July 20, July 27 and August 3 at 1:00 p.m. We will include any relevant information in our weekly emails. Do not hesitate to reach out to Chamber staff with any questions, thoughts or concerns.   

Register for the meeting and workshops here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/368559039007

The Chamber will continue to be actively engaged in these discussions and recommend sustainable and impactful approaches to meet shared goals of reducing carbon emissions.   

Imminent End of Local Public Health Orders an Extraordinary Step Forward for Dane County Businesses, Individuals

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (May 18, 2021)

Contact: Erik Greenfield, Communications Manager, 608-443-1952 (office), 608-669-7884 (cell)

Imminent End of Local Public Health Orders an Extraordinary Step Forward for Dane County Businesses, Individuals
Decision represents a significant milestone on the way to our “next normal”

MADISON – Today, Public Health Madison & Dane County (PHMDC) announced the end of all public health orders, including mask requirements and gathering and capacity limits, effective June 2. In response, Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce President Zach Brandon released the following statement:

“This decision is an extraordinary step in the right direction and further evidence that vaccines are safe and effective against COVID-19. We appreciate Public Health following the science and the data and continuing to align these decisions with CDC guidance while also giving businesses time to prepare for full reopening.

“This is especially encouraging news for Dane County businesses, who have been doing their part through improved health and safety protocols, workspace upgrades and encouraging their employees to get vaccinated. Their efforts are a significant reason why Dane County is seeing its lowest case counts in months and becoming a state and national leader in vaccination rate.

“For businesses, employees and others who have worked so hard to protect themselves and others and mitigate the spread of COVID-19, today is a major milestone on the way to our ‘next normal.’”

About the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce:
The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business with more than 1,200 organizations – ranging from one-person shops to corporations with more than 10,000 employees – working to bring the Greater Madison area to its full potential. The Greater Madison region is a leader in innovation. From cutting-edge technologies to distinctive retail shops to inventive services and products, our members vary greatly but are united by the region’s entrepreneurial spirit. More information can be found at madisonbiz.com.

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Chamber, Building Trades Align on Endorsements for Madison Common Council

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Feb. 25, 2021) 

Contact: Erik Greenfield, Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce, 608-443-1952 (office), 608-669-7884 (cell)

Jaclyn Weitzel, Building Trades Council of South Central Wisconsin, 608-256-3161

Chamber, Building Trades Align on Endorsements for Madison Common Council
Business and labor focused on backing candidates that will help accelerate Greater Madison’s economic recovery 

MADISON – Today the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, alongside the Building Trades Council of South Central Wisconsin, announced their endorsements in the April 6 elections for Madison Common Council. 

The endorsement of the 49-member Chamber board signals a candidate’s strength on business and economic issues and is based on several factors, including alignment with the Chamber’s NEXUS and Recovery legislative agendas. The Chamber and the Building Trades are both focused on growing jobs and tax base to enhance the health and vitality of our communities.  

“At this challenging and critical moment, we need leadership on the Madison Common Council with a commitment to inclusive economic growth and the collaborative experience to get it done,” said Chamber President Zach Brandon. “The alignment of business and labor in this election highlights that there are clear choices to help lead Madison through this pandemic and accelerate our economic recovery.”

“The priorities of our endorsed candidates for Madison Common Council match those of our hardworking union members, such as safe workplaces, buying and hiring local, and promoting the union trades as an exceptional career choice,” said Scott Bartz, President of the Building Trades Council.

“We are excited to partner with the Greater Madison Chamber in announcing our joint list of endorsed candidates for Madison Common Council,” said Jaclyn Weitzel, Executive Director of the Building Trades Council. “After many interviews and discussions, we believe these candidates will be strong voices on the issues that affect working people and their families in Madison.”

The Chamber and Building Trades jointly endorsed the following candidates for Madison Common Council:

District 1: Barbara Harrington-McKinney
District 3: Lindsay Lemmer
District 5: Regina Vidaver
District 7: Nasra Wehelie
District 11: Arvina Martin
District 12: Syed Abbas
District 14: Sheri Carter
District 16: Jael Currie
District 17: Gary Halverson
District 18: Charles Myadze
District 20: Christian Albouras

About the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce: 
The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business with more than 1,200 organizations – ranging from one-person shops to corporations with more than 10,000 employees – working to bring the Greater Madison area to its full potential. The Greater Madison region is a leader in innovation. From cutting-edge technologies to distinctive retail shops to inventive services and products, our members vary greatly but are united by the region’s entrepreneurial spirit. More information can be found at madisonbiz.com. 

About the Building Trades Council of South Central Wisconsin: 

The Building Trades Council of South Central Wisconsin is made up of 17 International Building Trades Unions. The Building Trades represent over 4,000 members who live and work in the greater Madison area. Building Trades members work for contractors that utilize the skilled labor pool available through local union affiliates. 

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Common Council Rejects Resolution Opposing F-35A Basing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Sept. 17, 2019)

Contact: Erik Greenfield, Communications Manager, 608-443-1952 (office), 608-669-7884 (cell)

MADISON – Tonight the Madison Common Council rejected a resolution that opposed the basing of the next-generation F-35A jet at Madison’s Truax Field. In response to tonight’s vote, Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce President Zach Brandon released the following statement:

“We are pleased that the council sent a message of support to the 115^th Fighter Wing by voting to oppose this resolution. The long-term health of the 115^th is vital to our economy and our community, and basing the F-35A at Truax Field will protect the livelihoods of the 1,200 Airmen – our friends, neighbors and guardians – who currently work there.

“We appreciate the mayor and council’s focus on ensuring a high quality of life for our residents, and those concerns can be balanced with maintaining Greater Madison’s economic momentum. This community has resolved similar challenges many times before, whether it is the interstate, major thoroughfare reconstruction like Verona Road or our railroad crossings.

“We will continue to support this new mission to ensure the benefits of the base – including supporting 1,264 permanent jobs and 400 construction jobs, generating $100 million in annual economic impact, providing emergency services for the airport and giving tuition support to area students who serve in the Guard – remain in Greater Madison for decades to come.”

About the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce:
The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business with nearly 1,300 organizations – ranging from one-person shops to corporations with more than 10,000 employees – working to bring the Greater Madison area to its full potential. The Greater Madison region is a leader in innovation. From cutting-edge technologies to distinctive retail shops to inventive services and products, our members vary greatly but are united by the region’s entrepreneurial spirit. More information can be found at madisonbiz.com.

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Chamber Calls on Congress to Protect DREAMers, TPS Holders

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (May 30, 2019)

Contact: Erik Greenfield, Communications Manager, 608-443-1952 (office), 608-669-7884 (cell)

MADISON – In partnership with New American Economy’s Global Talent Chamber Network, the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce is one of 60 chambers from 26 states calling on Congress to pass the Dream and Promise Act, bipartisan legislation that would create permanent protections for DREAMers and those with Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

“The Chamber supports federal immigration reforms that will encourage entrepreneurship, support our growing workforce needs and ensure homegrown talent remains in our community,” said Chamber President Zach Brandon. “The individuals who would benefit from this legislation are pursuing their education here, starting careers and businesses, and contributing to our tax base. Protecting them is the right thing to do for our young people and for our economy.”

There are 1.25 million DREAMers (undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children) eligible for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, and 318,000 immigrants hold TPS protections allowing them to work in the United States. There are approximately 10,500 DACA-eligible individuals in Wisconsin who earn $204.3 million in total income annually and contribute $31.7 million in total taxes annually, $15.3 million of which goes to state and local tax revenue.

See the full letter to congressional leadership here.

About the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce:
The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business with nearly 1,300 organizations – ranging from one-person shops to corporations with more than 10,000 employees – working to bring the Greater Madison area to its full potential. The Greater Madison region is a leader in innovation. From cutting-edge technologies to distinctive retail shops to inventive services and products, our members vary greatly but are united by the region’s entrepreneurial spirit. More information can be found at madisonbiz.com.

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