Los Angeles has the greatest number of energy efficient buildings that merited the EPA's Energy Star in 2009, according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency list.
The nation's second largest city is followed by Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Denver, Chicago, Houston, Lakeland, Dallas-Fort Worth, Atlanta and New York.
Energy efficiency saves building owners money and has less impacts on climate change.
The list of approximately 296 Southern California energy efficient buildings includes the Arena Corporate Center in Anaheim, Maguire Properties Lantana West in Santa Monica, Legacy Oceangate Tower in Long Beach, the office building located at 501 W. Broadway in San Diego, and the Trident Center in Los Angeles. The complete list is available at energystar.gov/buildinglist
"These cities see the importance of taking action on climate change," <CF11>said Gina McCarthy, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Air and Radiation.</CF> "Communities from Los Angeles to Louisville are reducing greenhouse gases and cutting energy bills with buildings that have earned EPA's Energy Star," Gina McCarthy, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Air and Radiation, said in a prepared statement.
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.
Continuing the impressive growth of the past several years, in 2009 nearly 3,900 commercial buildings earned the Energy Star, representing annual savings of more than $900 million in utility bills and cutting 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 the U.S. have earned the Energy Star as of the end of 2009, representing more than a 40 percent increase over last year's total.
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 percent 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 percent of buildings nationwide compared to similar buildings, agency officials said.
Thirteen types of buildings can earn the Energy Star, including schools, hospitals, office buildings, retail stores and supermarkets.
View a list of the Top 25 Cities in 2009 with Energy Star labeled buildings: http://energystar.gov/TopCities
Access EPA's real-time registry of all Energy Star labeled buildings 1999-present: http://energystar.gov/buildinglist
Learn more about earning the Energy Star for commercial buildings:
http://energystar.gov/labeledbuildings
Joe Segura, a mild-mannered reporter for a major metropolitan newspaper, has covered Gotham City, er Long Beach, for 34 years. During his very, very long -- endless -- tenure, he's covered almost every beat, and he was the main writer for BeachWeek, which focused on life and lifestyles of the shoreline communities from downtown Long Beach to the Huntington Beach pier.
Leave a comment