The EPA has released a list featuring the U.S. metropolitan areas with the greatest number of energy-efficient buildings that earned ENERGY STAR certification in 2010.
"When it's more important than ever to cut energy costs and reduce pollution in our communities, organizations across America are making their buildings more efficient, raising the bar in energy efficiency and lowering the amount of carbon pollution and other emissions in the air we breathe," says EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "Through their partnership with ENERGY STAR, metropolitan areas across the U.S. are saving a combined $1.9 billion in energy costs every year while developing new ways to shrink energy bills and keep our air clean."
The top 10 ENERGY STAR cities are as follows:
- 1. Los Angeles
- 2. Washington, DC
- 3. San Francisco
- 4. Chicago
- 5. New York
- 6. Atlanta
- 7. Houston
- 8. Sacramento
- 9. Detroit
- 10. Dallas-Fort Worth
6,200 commercial buildings in 2010 earned the Energy Star, an increase of 60% over 2009. Since the first ENERGY STAR was awarded in 1999, more than 12,600 buildings have qualified.
ENERGY STAR buildings use 35% less energy and emit 35% less carbon dioxide than average buildings. Fourteen different types of commercial buildings are eligible under the ENERGY STAR program, including office buildings, schools, and retail stores.
