EPA Names 2023 Top Cities for ENERGY STAR-Certified Buildings
Des Moines, Sioux City, and Dubuque in Iowa make Top 10 in small and mid-sized city categories
LENEXA, KAN. (APRIL 26, 2023) – 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 and multifamily buildings in 2022.
Coming in second place in the mid-sized cities category is Des Moines, Iowa, with 49 ENERGY STAR-certified buildings. In the small city category, Sioux City, Iowa, came in second and Dubuque, Iowa, in fourth, with 16 and 12 ENERGY STAR-certified buildings, respectively.
“In many cities, a majority of greenhouse gas emissions results from the energy used by buildings,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “I applaud this year’s top cities, as well as the owners and managers of each ENERGY STAR-certified building in them, for taking real action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help America address the climate crisis.”
Commercial buildings are responsible for 16% of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions and spend over $190 billion annually on energy. In many cities, buildings are the largest contributor of emissions – responsible for 30% to more than 70% of a city’s total emissions. ENERGY STAR-certified buildings use an average of 35% less energy and are responsible for 35% less carbon dioxide emissions than typical buildings.
First released in 2009, EPA’s list of cities with the most ENERGY STAR-certified buildings demonstrates 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, which includes the city and surrounding suburbs. EPA creates separate rankings for small and mid-sized cities.
As of the end of 2022, 88 buildings across Iowa have earned ENERGY STAR certification. Together, these buildings have saved $4.6 million on energy bills and prevented nearly 23,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions. That’s equal to the annual emissions of over 4,600 homes.
To earn the ENERGY STAR, 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 several factors, including energy use, hours of operation, and other operating characteristics.
- Learn more about ENERGY STAR Top Cities, including this year’s ranking of top small and mid-sized cities, and last year’s rankings.
- Search for ENERGY STAR-certified buildings.
- Learn more about earning the ENERGY STAR certification for commercial buildings.
- Learn more about EPA’s ENERGY STAR program.
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 EPA to deliver cost-saving, energy efficiency solutions. Since 1992, ENERGY STAR and its partners have helped American families and businesses avoid over $500 billion in energy costs and achieve 4 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas reductions.
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