Which Cities Have the Most Energy Star Buildings?

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced its sixth annual list of the top 25 U.S. metropolitan areas with the most Energy Star certified buildings. There has been no change in the top spot since the list’s inaugural appearance in 2008, but here is the top five:

1. Los Angeles
2. Washington, D.C.
3. Atlanta
4. New York
5. San Francisco

From the press release announcing the rankings: “more than 23,000 buildings across America earned EPA’s Energy Star certification by the end of 2013. These buildings saved more than $3.1 billion on utility bills and prevented greenhouse gas emissions equal to the annual electricity use from 2.2 million homes.”

While the number of buildings around the country making progress in energy efficiency is impressive, unfortunately the EPA's rankings correspond to net totals of buildings without adjusting for population or the footprint of each city’s total building stock. So Los Angeles should probably calm down before getting too excited about leading the rankings.