SAN FRANCISCO — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing its annual ENERGY STAR “Top Cities” list, spotlighting the cities with the greatest number of ENERGY STAR certified commercial and multifamily buildings in 2022. Coming in at first place for the third year in a row, Los Angeles leads the nation with nearly 750 ENERGY STAR certified buildings. In fourth place is San Francisco with 343 buildings, giving California two cities in the top five.
“In many cities, a majority of greenhouse gas emissions results from the energy used by buildings,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “I applaud this year’s top cities, as well as the owners and managers of each ENERGY STAR certified building in them, for taking real action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help America address the climate crisis.”
“I congratulate Los Angeles on continuing to lead the way nationally when it comes to ENERGY STAR buildings,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “This distinction speaks to the city’s commitment to reduce harmful emissions while consuming less energy – necessary steps for tackling climate change and advancing toward a more sustainable future.”
Starting in 2023, Los Angeles’ building decarbonization ordinance comes into effect, requiring all new building construction to be all-electric.
“I am so proud that Los Angeles continues to lead in sustainability and energy efficiency,” said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. “We remain committed to furthering our efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from our buildings and to create a safer, healthier, and more livable Los Angeles.”
First released in 2009, EPA’s list of cities with the most ENERGY STAR certified buildings shows how buildings across America are embracing energy efficiency as a simple and effective way to save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 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, which includes the city itself as well as surrounding suburbs. EPA creates separate rankings for mid-sized and small cities. This year’s list includes buildings that earned EPA’s ENERGY STAR during the year 2022:
Top 10 Cities Overall
| Rank | Metro Area | Building Count | Last Year’s Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | 748 | 1 |
| 2 | Washington DC | 555 | 2 |
| 3 | Atlanta | 376 | 3 |
| 4 | San Francisco | 343 | 4 |
| 5 | New York | 256 | 6 |
| 6 | Riverside | 230 | 18 |
| 6 | Denver | 230 | 8 |
| 8 | Dallas | 221 | 5 |
| 8 | Chicago | 221 | 7 |
| 10 | Boston | 205 | 10 |
Commercial buildings are responsible for 16% of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions and spend more than $190 billion per year on energy. In many cities, buildings are the largest contributor of emissions—responsible for 30% to more than 70% of a city’s total emissions. ENERGY STAR certified buildings use an average of 35% less energy and are responsible for 35% less carbon dioxide emissions than typical buildings.
Across the country, more than 7,000 commercial buildings earned the EPA’s ENERGY STAR last year. As of the end of 2022, nearly 41,000 buildings across America have earned ENERGY STAR certification. Together, these buildings have saved $5.4 billion on energy bills and prevented more than 22 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions—equal to the annual emissions of more than 2.7 million homes.
To earn the ENERGY STAR, a commercial building must achieve an ENERGY STAR score of 75 or higher on EPA’s 1 – 100 scale, indicating that it is more energy efficient than 75% of similar buildings nationwide. A building’s ENERGY STAR score is calculated based on a number of factors, including energy use, hours of operation, and a variety of other operating characteristics.
- More on ENERGY STAR Top Cities, including this year’s ranking of top small and mid-sized cities, as well as last year’s rankings.
- Search for ENERGY STAR certified buildings.
- More about earning the ENERGY STAR certification for commercial buildings.
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