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The Golden State really is golden. Six California cities made the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star Top Cities list. The seventh annual list ranks the top 25 metropolitan areas in the U.S. with the most Energy Star-certified buildings in 2014.
Los Angeles -- the second most populated city in the U.S. -- made the list’s second spot, while San Francisco made the fifth spot. The other California cities on the list are: Riverside (No.14), San Diego (17), Sacramento (19) and San Jose (22). On the East Coast, Washington, D.C. came in at No. 1, followed by Atlanta at No. 3 and New York at No. 4.
Here’s how much carbon emissions the six California cities have reduced:
“San Francisco, Sacramento and San Jose have saved over $150 million and reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 324,670 tons because of energy-efficient buildings and upgrades,” said Jared Blumenfeld, regional administrator for the EPA’s Pacific Southwest office, in a statement. “Nationwide, these efforts are essential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the negative effects of climate change."“Cities across Southern California have saved more than $196 million and reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 400,215 tons because of energy efficient buildings and upgrades," Blumenfeld continued.
Check out the whole list here, and see how your city stacked up.
California will continue to lead in energy efficiency. Back in January, during his inaugural address, Gov. Jerry Brown announced a new energy policy. Part of that policy is doubling the efficiency of existing buildings by 2030. Meeting the new energy policy “will require enormous innovation, research and investment.” Luckily, California has Silicon Valley, where innovation, research and investment are commonplace.
Image credit: David Yu
Gina-Marie is a freelance writer and journalist armed with a degree in journalism, and a passion for social justice, including the environment and sustainability. She writes for various websites, and has made the 75+ Environmentalists to Follow list by Mashable.com.