Dennis RomeroLos Angeles topped the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's list of major American cities with the most energy efficient buildings, the EPA announced Tuesday. This marks the second year in a row L.A. was tops in green buildings.
L.A. has the largest number of such structures with the EPA's Energy Star awards. Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Denver, Chicago, Houston, Lakeland, Fla., Dallas-Ft. Worth, Atlanta and New York round out the top 10.
The L.A. designation includes a broad metropolitan area that includes San Diego and Orange County: The region's 296 Energy Star buildings include the Arena Corporate Center in Anaheim, Maguire Properties Lantana West in Santa Monica, Legacy Oceangate Tower in Long Beach, the 501 W. Broadway office building in San Diego, and the Trident Center in West Los Angeles, according to the EPA.
“These cities see the importance of taking action on climate change,” states Gina McCarthy, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Air and Radiation. “Communities from Los Angeles to Louisville are reducing greenhouse gases and cutting energy bills with buildings that have earned EPA's Energy Star.”
The EPA began awarding its Energy Star designation to U.S. buildings in 1999 and has seen a 40 percent increase in the number of green edifices it recognizes.
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