Lawrence’s environmental sustainability board wants to propose an energy benchmarking policy that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save renters money. Their next hurdle is to capture the attention of city commissioners.
The city’s Environmental Sustainability Advisory Board (ESAB) approved a letter to commissioners outlining the aims and benefits of the proposed policy, while gauging potential city resource needs and suggesting next steps.
The board voted unanimously to accept the revised letter, provided that Kathy Richardson doesn’t have any additional edits. Richardson, who was not present at the meeting, is the director of the city’s sustainability department and the ESAB staff liaison.
Here is an early draft of the letter included in the agenda packet. Note that this is not the final, edited version that was voted on at the end of the meeting.
If commissioners were to adopt the policy, the city would implement energy benchmarking requirements for rental properties in town, wherein landlords would report energy usage data for their buildings.
The data would be aggregated to protect individual renters’ privacy and made publicly available. Thus, tenants could better understand the hidden costs of a unit’s utilities prior to moving in.
“The goal is local: to help renters and landlords, reduce energy waste, and strengthen affordability in our own community,” board member Mohsen Fatemi wrote in an FAQ document.
The ESAB predicts that mandatory energy benchmarking could incentivize landlords to increase the energy efficiency of their units, in turn saving renters a significant amount of money each year while advancing the city toward its greenhouse gas reduction goals.
Fatemi said community members challenged the policy in Facebook comments, suggesting that if a landlord spends money on upgrades, they’d raise the rent for tenants. Fatemi clarified through his FAQ that landlords would not be required to spend money, and if they do, the energy savings could outpace rent increases.
“For example, if utilities drop by $200 a month and rent goes up by $50, the renter still comes out ahead,” he wrote. “Evidence from other cities suggests that disclosure policies haven’t led to across-the-board rent hikes. In fact, efficient buildings often attract and keep tenants more easily, which lowers turnover costs for landlords.”
While editing the letter to the commission, board members emphasized that the ordinance would likely be cost-effective, with a minimal budget to cover initial setup, some administrative labor and IT tools.
Fatemi further addressed cost concerns in the FAQ.
“For many families, high and unpredictable bills mean sacrificing food, medical care, or safety just to keep the heat on,” he wrote. “The ordinance is designed to be light-touch and low-cost, requiring only minimal city resources, yet even modest efficiency gains across the community could add up to hundreds of thousands — if not millions — of dollars in annual savings. It doesn’t replace other efforts but adds another tool to stabilize budgets and strengthen long-term affordability.”
Similar policies have been adopted in cities such as Kansas City, Missouri, Minneapolis, Chicago and others. Fatemi recently spoke with KCMO staff about their benchmarking policy. They suggested that Lawrence source funding from health departments or team up with relevant nonprofits, according to Fatemi.
He also said that KCMO staff recommended that Lawrence make benchmark reporting a requirement for landlords’ annual rental license renewal to mitigate potential enforcement challenges. Alternatively, landlords could sign waivers that allow the city to directly obtain aggregate building data from utility companies, such as Evergy and Black Hills Energy, thereby reducing the administrative burden.
ESAB members expressed an interest in exploring this option with the Kansas Corporation Commission and utility companies. Fatemi said they’d also need to speak with companies to get a clearer idea of the type and quality of the data that is available.
Under a proposed timeline in the revised letter, ESAB members would present their suggested policy at a commission meeting for feedback in fall 2025. In winter 2025, they hope to discuss possible collaboration with the Affordable Housing Advisory Board in a joint meeting.
During spring 2026, the board aims to speak in-depth with utility companies, KCC and the Lawrence community to gather feedback from both landlords and renters. They would also develop an in-depth cost analysis at that time.
Finally, the team would revise and submit a final policy recommendation to commissioners by summer 2026.
In his FAQ, Fatemi emphasized that ESAB is comprised of volunteers who are Lawrence residents wanting to improve the city, and that they’re open to local feedback.
“Residents can participate by attending ESAB meetings, submitting public comments, or sharing their ideas with commissioners,” he wrote. “This is the moment when input can have the most significant impact on shaping the final policy to reflect the needs of our community.”
Watch the full September ESAB meeting on YouTube here.
The next ESAB meeting is set for 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23 in the City Commission Room at Lawrence City Hall.
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Wulfe Wulfemeyer (they/them), reporter and news editor, has worked with The Lawrence Times since May 2025. They can be reached at wulfe@lawrencekstimes.com.
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