Even the Most Energy Efficient Cities Have Room for Improvement

The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy has released its third biannual City Energy Efficiency Scorecard.

1 minute read

May 13, 2017, 11:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Massachusetts

aphotostory / Shutterstock

"Boston is the most energy-efficient large city in the U.S. for the third time running," according to an article by Josh Cohen. "The ranking comes from the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy’s third biannual City Energy Efficiency Scorecard."

"The scorecard ranks the 51 largest U.S. cities based on five criteria," explains Cohen: "local government operations, community-wide initiatives, building policies, energy and water utilities, and transportation policies."

Boston scored an 84.5 out of 100 possible points on way to its place at the top of the list, showing that there's still room for improvement, even from the best-performing cities. Speaking of room for improvement, the majority of the cities scored by ACEEE scored less than 40 points. Boston was followed by New York, Seattle, Portland, and Los Angeles in the top five. 

Thursday, May 11, 2017 in Next City

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue tarps covering tents set up by unhoused people along chain link fence on concrete sidewalk.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work

Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

July 6, 2025 - Next City

Tunnel for pedestrians, bikes, and buses in Lyon, France lit up with purple lights.

The French Solution to Congested Tunnels: Make Them Car-Free

Bay Area transportation officials keep expanding car capacity. Lyon’s Croix Rousse Tunnel offers a different way.

5 hours ago - Streetsblog San Francisco

Missouri state Rep. Chris Brown speaking in government chamber.

Missouri Governor Reverses Anti-Discrimination Housing Policies

A new state law bars cities from prohibiting source-of-income discrimination against tenants using Section 8 housing vouchers.

5 hours ago - Missouri Independent

Pedestrians crossing a rainbow painted crosswalk in New York City.

USDOT Launches Unfunded 'SAFE ROADS' Program

The program targets “distractions” and “political messages or artwork,” and paves the way for autonomous vehicles.

6 hours ago - Urban Milwaukee