In April, the EPA released a list of the Top 25 cities with the most ENERGY STAR-certified buildings. Los Angeles topped the list with 443 ENERGY STAR-certified buildings, contributing over $132 million in cost savings on utility bills annually and preventing emissions at a level equal to the annual electric use of 45,100 homes. In order to be certified by ENERGY STAR, buildings must use 35 percent less energy and cause 35 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than similar buildings.

Fourteen of the Top 25 cities with ENERGY STAR buildings overall were professionally managed:

1. Los Angeles, CA (443 buildings)
2. Washington, DC (435 buildings)
3. Atlanta, GA (318 buildings)
4. San Francisco, CA (289 buildings)
5. Dallas-Fort Worth, TX (229 buildings)
6. Houston-Fort Worth, TX (229 buildings)
7. Charlotte, NC (176 buildings)
8. Phoenix, AZ (156 buildings)
9. San Diego, CA (123 buildings)
10. Sacramento, CA (109 buildings)
11. Miami, FL (101 buildings)
12. Cincinnati, OH (84 buildings)
13. San Jose, CA (83 buildings)
14. Riverside, CA (75 buildings)

The EPA also recognized the top small and mid-sized cities for ENERGY STAR buildings. Thirty-five professionally-managed ICMA-recognized local governments were recognized in total. Among the top ten mid-sized cities recognized were Virginia Beach, VA; Des Moines, Iowa; Austin, TX; Fort Collins, CO; and Las Cruces, NM. Among the top small cities recognized were St. George, Utah, Owensboro, Ky., Chambersburg, Pa., Bloomington, Ill., Decatur, Ill., Glenwood Springs, Colo., Juneau, Alaska, Stillwater, OK, Charleston, Ill, Billings, Mont., Richmond, Ky., Bowling Green, Ky., Santa Fe, N.M, Mount Airy, N.C., Muskogee, Okla., and Yankton, S.D.

Congratulations to all those cities recognized!

To learn about what local governments are doing to use ENERGY STAR programs to increase their energy efficiency, reduce costs and negative environmental impact for healthier, more sustainable communities, visit the Energy Efficiency Topic Page on ICMA’s Knowledge Network.