Orange and Rockland
Elizabeth Cook is VP of Technical Strategy at the Association of Edison Illuminating Companies.
For years, energy efficiency has been described as the first fuel of the clean energy transition. But before buildings can reduce consumption, electrify systems, or decarbonize operations to achieve regulatory compliance goals, one prerequisite must be met: visibility. Without a clear understanding of how energy is used, when it peaks, and how it compares to similar buildings, efficiency remains an abstract goal rather than an actionable plan.
That insight sits at the heart of the Building Energy Usage Portal (BE-UP) developed by Orange and Rockland Utilities (O&R). The portal, launched in 2024, represents a shift in how utilities support customers by turning raw meter data into accessible, decision-ready information. In addition to being a valuable compliance tool, BE-UP is a strong example of the innovative approaches AEIC’s member utilities are developing to achieve operational excellence throughout the industry.
From Benchmarking Mandates to Customer Empowerment
The origins of BE-UP trace back to building energy benchmarking laws that emerged in major U.S. cities in the 2010s. These policies, supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, require large commercial buildings to track and report their energy use, often comparing performance against similar properties.