Take that, L.A.: For the first time, D.C. has topped the five-year leader in energy-efficient buildings to take the Energy Star crown.
The Energy Star program, launched by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1999, rewards energy-efficient commercial buildings, which on average use 35 percent less energy than typical buildings and have carbon emissions that are 35 percent lower. The EPA has given the rating to more than 25,000 buildings across the country.
Since 2009, the EPA has ranked metropolitan areas by the number of Energy Star buildings they have. Every year, Los Angeles has come out on top.
This year, L.A.’s reign came to an end. The D.C. area is now the national leader, with 480 Energy Star buildings, topping L.A.’s 475 and third-place Atlanta’s 328.
Here’s the full list of the top 50 metro areas:
Rank Metro Area 2014 Building Count
1 Washington, DC 480
2 Los Angeles 475
3 Atlanta 328
4 New York 299
5 San Francisco 292
6 Chicago 251
7 Dallas-Fort Worth 248
8 Houston 235
9 Denver 195
10 Boston 176
11 Phoenix 165
12 Philadelphia 158
13 Seattle 149
14 Riverside, Calif. 127
15 Minneapolis-St. Paul 122
16 Charlotte 95
17 San Diego 92
18 Miami 90
19 Sacramento 89
20 Virginia Beach 81
21 Detroit 80
22 San Jose 70
23 Austin 65
23 Portland, Ore. 65
24 Louisville 59
24 Tampa 59
25 Salt Lake City 55
Photo from energystar.gov