Yesterday, the EPA announced that the nation’s Capitol has dethroned Los Angeles at the top of their 7th annual Best Cities list with 480 super efficient, Energy Star certified buildings.
It’s been a long time since we’ve seen “Washington” and “efficient” in the same sentence. But when it comes to energy efficient buildings, D.C. is leading the way for efficient cities. The surprise outcome proves once and for all that it doesn’t take an act of Congress to go green.
The EPA also announced that the total number of Energy Star buildings nationwide now exceeds 25,000. In addition to eliminating the equivalent greenhouse gas emissions of about 2.4 million homes annually, those buildings have combined for $3.4 billion in savings on utility bills and electricity costs.
The full 2014 best cities list is below. See if your city made the cut. If not, it’s time to start asking why.
Washington, DC - 480 Energy Star buildings
Los Angeles - 475 Energy Star buildings
Atlanta - 328 Energy Star buildings
New York - 299 Energy Star buildings
San Francisco - 292 Energy Star buildings
Chicago - 251 Energy Star buildings
Dallas-Fort Worth - 248 Energy Star buildings
Houston **- **235 Energy Star buildings
Denver - 195 Energy Star buildings
Boston - 176 Energy Star buildings
Phoenix - 165 Energy Star buildings
Philadelphia - 158 Energy Star buildings
Seattle - 149 Energy Star buildings
Riverside, CA - 127 Energy Star buildings
Minneapolis-St. Paul - 122 Energy Star buildings
Charlotte - 95 Energy Star buildings
San Diego - 92 Energy Star buildings
Miami - 90 Energy Star buildings
Sacramento - 89 Energy Star buildings
Virginia Beach - 81 Energy Star buildings
Detroit - 80 Energy Star buildings
San Jose - 70 Energy Star buildings
Austin - 65 Energy Star buildings
Portland, OR - 65 Energy Star buildings
Louisville - 59 Energy Star buildings
Tampa - 59 Energy Star buildings
Salt Lake City - 55 Energy Star buildings
