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Surely, Denverites think of their city as a “green” one, and, well, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) agrees. The EPA recently released a report that detailed the cities with the most Energy Star certified buildings. Denver landed eighth on the list with 221 buildings certified as energy efficient, which the EPA says translates into $40.2 million in annual savings.
In total, the EPA says there are 28,000 Energy Star certified buildings in the country that accounts for $3.1 billion in savings on utility bills. On a smaller scale, the agency estimates that the Energy Start buildings cost about 50 cents less per square foot to operate than a traditional commercial building. What’s more, according to the EPA, energy use in commercial buildings accounts for about 17 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions in the country.
“Not only are the ENERGY STAR top 25 cities saving money on energy costs and increasing energy efficiency, but they are promoting public health by decreasing greenhouse gas emissions from commercial buildings,” said EPA administrator Gina McCarthy. “Every city has an important role to play in reducing emissions and carbon pollution, and increasing energy efficiency to combat the impacts of our changing climate.”
Here, a look at the EPA’s top 10 list, and the number of energy efficient buildings in each city.
1. Los Angeles, 443
2. Washington, DC, 435
3. Atlanta, 318
4. New York, 303
5. San Francisco, 289
6. Chicago, 233
7. Dallas-Fort Worth, 229
8. Denver, 221
9. Philadelphia, 210
10. Houston, 204
—Image courtesy of Shutterstock