Los Angeles has the most energy efficient buildings of any metropolitan area in the United States according to a new list released by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
EPA first issued its ranking of cities with the most Energy Star
labeled buildings last year. This year, Los Angeles remains in first
place; the District of Columbia picks up second; Denver and Chicago
move into the top five; and Lakeland and New York City are new to the
top 10.
Other top cities include San Francisco, Denver,
Chicago, Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth and Atlanta.
"These cities see the importance of taking action on climate change," said Gina McCarthy, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation. “Communities from Los Angeles to Louisville are reducing greenhouse gases and cutting energy bills with buildings that have earned EPA’s Energy Star."
In 2009 nearly 3,900 commercial buildings earned the Energy Star, representing more than a 40% increase over last year’s total and annual savings of more than $900 million in utility bills and more than 4.7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
Since EPA awarded the first Energy Star to a building in 1999, nearly 9,000 buildings across America have earned the Energy Star as of the end of 2009. Overall annual utility savings have climbed to nearly $1.6 billion and greenhouse gas emissions equal to the emissions of more than 1 million homes a year have been prevented.
Energy use in commercial buildings accounts for 17% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions at a cost of over $100 billion per year. EPA awards the Energy Star to commercial buildings that perform in the top 25% of buildings nationwide compared to similar buildings. Thirteen types of buildings can earn the Energy Star, including schools, hospitals, office buildings, retail stores and supermarkets.
A list of the top 25 cities is available as a pdf at the link below.
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