ACEEE ranks 51 US cities for energy-efficiency efforts in five policy areas
WASHINGTON — Worldwide, 3.5 billion people live in cities. The U.N. predicts the world population to double by 2050. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), two-thirds of global energy consumption and 80 percent of the U.S.’s energy consumption occurs in cities. These municipalities’ large shares of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions mean energy-efficiency actions in these urban areas by local governments are critical in addressing the nation’s and the world’s energy and environmental challenges. Saving energy can make communities more resilient while protecting human health and the environment. Many local governments around the U.S. are committed to efficiency. Cities can influence energy use in their communities through land use and zoning, building codes, public finance, transportation investment, economic and workforce development, and, in many cases, the provision of water and energy.
The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy’s (ACEEE) second biennial 2015 City Energy Efficiency Scorecard measures the progress of city policies and programs that save energy while benefiting the environment and promoting economic growth. The scorecard ranked 51 large U.S. cities for their energy-efficiency efforts across five policy areas: local government operations, community-wide initiatives, buildings, energy and water utilities, and transportation.