News Releases from Region 09

U.S. EPA Announces Seven Pacific Southwest Metro Areas Make ENERGY STAR’s Top Cities List for 2017

SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced its 10th annual “Top Cities” list, which ranks the 25 U.S. metropolitan areas with the most ENERGY STAR certified buildings in the preceding calendar year. Los Angeles earned first place with more than 700 ENERGY STAR certified buildings, bumping Washington, D.C. to second place. San Francisco came in sixth and Phoenix came in eighth. Riverside, San Diego, Sacramento and San Jose also made the list, with 100 or more ENERGY STAR certified buildings each.

“Earning a spot on the ENERGY STAR Top Cities list is a recognition of commitment to cutting building-related energy costs and reducing waste,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation Bill Wehrum. “With help from ENERGY STAR, city leaders and building owners are working together to strengthen their economies, foster competition, and create a healthier environment.”

“Designing energy efficient buildings allows cities and businesses in the Pacific Southwest to create economical, environmentally-friendly commercial spaces,” said Alexis Strauss, Acting Regional Administrator for the EPA’s Pacific Southwest office. “Simple ideas like utilizing natural light and conserving water can lower costs and energy use, helping to protect natural resources and boost the economy.”

To create the annual list, EPA tallies the number of ENERGY STAR certified buildings within each metropolitan area, as defined by the U.S. Census. These areas include the city itself as well as surrounding towns and suburbs. This year’s Top Cities are:

Rank      Metro Area                        Building Count

1              Los Angeles                        716

2              Washington, DC                661

3              Dallas                                    468

4              Atlanta                                 441

5              New York                             434

6              San Francisco                     378

7              Chicago                               339

8              Phoenix                               303

9              Denver                                 265

10           Houston                               247

11           Boston                                  231

12           Riverside, Calif.                 173

13           San Diego                            164

13           Seattle                                  164

15           Philadelphia                       157

16           Tampa                                  154

17           Austin                                   130

18           San Jose                               129

19           Minneapolis                       116

20           Virginia Beach                   109

21           Miami                                   106

22           Sacramento                        100

23           Charlotte                             94

24           Louisville                              86

24           Indianapolis                        86

The Top Cities list shows how cities across America are embracing energy efficiency as a proven path to financial savings and a healthier environment. Commercial buildings are responsible for 19 percent of the nation’s energy use and cost American organizations and cities more than $100 billion per year in energy bills. By the end of 2017, more than 32,000 buildings across America had earned EPA’s ENERGY STAR certification. Together, these buildings have saved more than $4.5 billion on energy bills and prevented greenhouse gas emissions equal to the annual electricity use of more than 3 million homes. 

Commercial buildings that apply for EPA’s ENERGY STAR must have their performance verified by a professional engineer or a registered architect. ENERGY STAR certified buildings use an average of 35 percent less energy than typical buildings. Many types of commercial facilities can earn the ENERGY STAR, including office buildings, schools, hospitals, and retail stores.

About ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR® is the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency, providing simple, credible, and unbiased information that consumers and businesses rely on to make well-informed decisions. Thousands of industrial, commercial, utility, state, and local organizations—including more than 40 percent of the Fortune 500®—rely on their partnership with EPA to deliver cost-saving energy efficiency solutions. Together, since 1992, ENERGY STAR and its partners have helped save American families and businesses over $450 billion and over 3.5 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity while also achieving broad emissions reductions – all through voluntary action.Join the millions already making a difference at energystar.gov. More background information about ENERGY STAR can be found at energystar.gov/about and energystar.gov/numbers.

More on ENERGY STAR Top Cities, including top small and mid-sized cities, as well as last year’s rankings: www.energystar.gov/topcities

Search for ENERGY STAR certified buildings: www.energystar.gov/buildinglist

More about earning the ENERGY STAR certification for commercial buildings: www.energystar.gov/buildingcertification

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