The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing its annual “Top Cities” list, spotlighting the cities with the greatest number of ENERGY STAR certified commercial and multifamily buildings in 2021. Los Angeles leads the pack with nearly 650 ENERGY STAR certified buildings. 

“The city of LA is leading the way by proving that cutting energy costs, increasing efficiency, and reducing emissions, can also save money for municipalities and their constituents,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “Congratulations Los Angeles for its #1 Energy Star recognition in reducing carbon pollution and fighting the effects of climate change.”

Commercial buildings are responsible for 18% of the nation’s energy use and spend more than $190 billion per year on energy bills. ENERGY STAR certified buildings use an average of 35% less energy and are responsible for 35% less carbon dioxide emissions than typical buildings.

“We’ve led the country in clean buildings year after year because we know the importance of giving building owners the tools to reduce their carbon footprint,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. “Buildings are not just Los Angeles’ largest source of climate pollution – they’re one of our greatest opportunities to show the world that climate action and economic opportunity go hand in hand. We know the real work still lies ahead, so we’ll keep doing our part to realize our promise of reduced emissions, healthier communities, and more inclusive economies.”

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, and creates separate rankings for mid-sized and small cities. These areas include the city itself as well as surrounding suburbs. This year’s list includes buildings that earned EPA’s ENERGY STAR certification during the year 2021. This year’s Top Cities are:

Top 5 Cities Overall

Rank      Metro Area                       Building Count                 Last Year’s Rank

1             Los Angeles                        648                                      1

2             Washington DC                  498                                      2

3             Atlanta                                342                                      4

4             San Francisco                    332                                      3

5             Dallas                                  286                                      8

Across the country, more than 6,000 commercial buildings earned the EPA’s ENERGY STAR last year.

As of the end of 2021, over 39,000 buildings across America have earned ENERGY STAR certification. Together, these buildings have saved more than $5 billion on energy bills and prevented nearly 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 certification, 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.

Throughout the COVID pandemic in 2021, building owners and managers relied on the ENERGY STAR score to maintain a clear picture of their buildings’ energy performance, despite major changes to their operations. While many office buildings, schools, and retail stores saw significant reductions in occupancy, most hospitals and multifamily buildings were more heavily used. The ENERGY STAR score took these changes into account and continued to provide an accurate assessment of performance for all types of buildings.

About ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR^® is the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency, providing simple, credible, and unbiased information that consumers and businesses rely on to make well-informed decisions. Thousands of industrial, commercial, utility, state, and local organizations—including nearly 40% of the Fortune 500®—rely on their partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to deliver cost-saving energy efficiency solutions. Since 1992, ENERGY STAR and its partners helped American families and businesses avoid more than $500 billion in energy costs and achieve 4 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas reductions. More background information about ENERGY STAR’s impacts can be found at www.energystar.gov/impacts and state-level information can be found at www.energystar.gov/statefacts.

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: www.energystar.gov/topcities

Search for ENERGY STAR certified buildings: www.energystar.gov/buildinglocator

More about earning the ENERGY STAR certification for commercial buildings: www.energystar.gov/buildingcertification