EPA Names Four Kentucky Cities Among 2023 Top Cities for ENERGY STAR Certified Buildings

Publilshed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

FRANKFORT, KY. (April 26, 2023) – Today, 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 2022. Four Kentucky cities made top lists. Louisville ranked 5th on the top 10 mid-sized cities list with 35 buildings. Among the top 10 small cities, Elizabethtown ranked 7th with 10 buildings, Owensboro ranked 9th with 9 buildings and Richmond-Berea ranked 10th with 8 buildings. 

“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.”  

“The Southeast shows a commitment to cutting building-related costs and reducing waste,” said EPA Region 4 Administrator Daniel Blackman. “This partnership between city and business leaders demonstrates the benefits that result from embracing energy efficiency as a simple and effective way to save money, reduce emissions and protect the environment.” 

Commercial buildings are responsible for 16% of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions and spend more than $190 billion per year 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 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, which includes the city itself as well as surrounding suburbs. EPA creates separate rankings for mid-sized and small cities. This year’s list includes buildings that earned EPA’s ENERGY STAR during the year 2022. This year’s Top Cities are: 

Top 25 Cities Overall

Rank     Metro Area                      Building Count                Last Year’s Rank

1            Los Angeles                      748                                     1

2            Washington DC               555                                     2

3            Atlanta                              376                                     3

4            San Francisco                   343                                     4

5            New York                          256                                     6

6            Riverside                           230                                     18

6            Denver                              230                                     8

8            Dallas                                221                                     5

8            Chicago                             221                                     7

10          Boston                              205                                    10

11          Houston                            195                                     9

12          Tampa                               184                                     15

13          Seattle                               180                                     13

14          San Diego                         170                                     11

15          Austin                                168                                     12

16          Minneapolis                     156                                     14

17          Phoenix                            131                                     16

18          San Jose                            110                                     16

19          Charlotte                          105                                     19

20          Miami                                94                                       20

21          Sacramento                     88                                       23

22          Philadelphia                     76                                       22

23          Orlando                            64                                       24

24          Portland                            63                                       n/a

25          Raleigh                              59                                       n/a

25          Cincinnati                         59                                       25

Top 10 Mid-Sized Cities

Rank     Metro Area                      Building Count                Last Year’s Rank

1            Raleigh, N.C.                    59                                       3

2            Des Moines, Iowa           49                                       9

3            Provo, Utah                      47                                       2

4            Grand Rapids, Mich.       37                                       n/a

5            Bakersfield, Calif.            35                                       n/a

5            Salt Lake City, Utah         35                                       8

5            Louisville, Ky.                   35                                       4

8            Boulder, Colo.                  31                                       6

8            Milwaukee, Wis.             31                                       n/a

10          Visalia, Calif.                    27                                       n/a

Top 10 Small Cities

Rank     Metro Area                      Building Count                Last Year’s Rank

1            Jackson, Mich.                 41                                       1

2            Sioux City, Iowa               16                                       3

3            Punta Gorda, Fla.            13                                       n/a

4            Dubuque, Iowa               12                                       n/a

5            Saginaw, Mich                 11                                       7

5            Carson City, Nev.             11                                       4

7            Elizabethtown, Ky.          10                                       4

7            Midland, Mich.                10                                       n/a

9            Owensboro, Ky.               9                                         n/a

10          Richmond-Berea, Ky       8                                         n/a

Across the country, more than 7,000 commercial buildings earned the EPA’s ENERGY STAR last year. As of the end of 2022, nearly 41,000 buildings across America have earned ENERGY STAR certification. Together, these buildings have saved $5.4 billion on energy bills and prevented more than 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, 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.  

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 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.

Read the full article at: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-names-four-kentucky-cities-among-2023-top-cities-energy-star-certified-buildings

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