EPA Unveils List of Cities with the Most Efficient Buildings, Detroit Ranks 15th

Environment Michigan

Washington, D.C. – Today the Environmental Protection Agency released its second annual list of U.S. cities with the most Energy Star buildings.  They found that Detroit ranks 15th in the country, with 62 Energy Star buildings that save the equivalent of 12,500 homes’ electricity usage annually.  In 2009, nearly 3,900 commercial buildings earned the EPA’s Energy Star rating across the country, saving Americans more than $900 million in utility bills every year while reducing annual carbon dioxide emissions by more than 4.7 million metric tons.  The Energy Star is awarded to commercial buildings that perform in the top 25 percent of buildings nationwide compared to buildings with the same purpose.  Los Angeles, Washington D.C., San Francisco, Denver and Chicago topped the list and are leading the charge to jumpstart our economy and protect our environment by making our country’s buildings more energy efficient.

Environment Michigan’s Shelley Vinyard released the following statement in response:

“This ranking shows the tremendous progress that cities across the country have made to make America’s buildings more energy efficient.  By retrofitting homes, commercial buildings, and industrial facilities, American cities are significantly reducing global warming pollution, putting people to work in clean energy jobs, and saving families and businesses money on energy costs.

“America’s buildings use forty percent of our energy, representing ten percent of the world’s energy consumption.  The good news is we currently have the technology, the know-how and a workforce that is ready to retrofit our homes and commercial buildings to make them more efficient, while dramatically reducing pollution.

“However, home and business owners need incentives and financing mechanisms that will make it feasible to invest in making their buildings more energy efficient and to reap the tremendous benefits for our economy and our environment.  Every billion dollars of public spending on energy efficiency can leverage $2-3 billion in private investment and create 25,000 jobs in 2010.  By enacting programs that increase building efficiency, such as the Home Star residential retrofit program or the Building Star commercial retrofit program, businesses and families in cities across the country will see additional savings that build on the progress highlighted in today’s announcement.

“We look forward to working with Congress and President Obama to pass Home Star, Building Star and other energy efficiency programs that build on the progress cities across the country have already made by bringing our homes, commercial buildings, and industrial facilities into the 21st century and putting Americans to work in our new clean energy economy.”

EPA’s Top 25 Ranking of Cities with the Most Energy Star Buildings:  http://www.energystar.gov/ia/business/downloads/2009_Top_25_cities_chart.pdf