Boston ranked #1 in energy efficiency for second year in a row
For the second year in a row, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) named Boston the most energy-efficient city in the United States, according to its 2015 City Energy Efficiency Scorecard.
"It is an honor Boston has been recognized as America's most energy-efficient city," said Mayor Walsh. "Our goal is to help Boston residents and businesses save energy and money, and through collaborative efforts with our utility partners, Eversource and National Grid, we are creating a thriving, healthy and innovative Boston. I look forward to continuing these efforts for both our environment and residents."
The a biennial report ranks large U.S. cities on policies and other actions to save energy. ACEEE included 51 cities in this edition of the Scorecard, up 17 from the 2013 edition of the report.
“Our findings show that cities continue to be laboratories of innovation when it comes to energy efficiency, with many pushing the envelope for more energy savings in the last few years," said ACEEE research analyst David Ribeiro, the lead report author. "Cities are also improving their approaches when it comes to tracking and communicating their efforts to save energy. By capturing these efforts in the Scorecard we hope local leaders from cities of all sizes can learn best practices from each other and deliver the benefits of energy efficiency to their communities, such as a stronger economy and a cleaner environment.”
“Clean energy is a vibrant part of the Massachusetts economy – employing close to 100,000 people –and this accomplishment further bolsters Massachusetts and the City of Boston’s credentials as a leading global hub of clean energy,” said Massachusetts Clean Energy Center CEO Alicia Barton.
Cities were evaluated on what actions they are taking to reduce energy use in five key areas: government operations, community initiatives, buildings, utilities and transportation.
ACEEE cites four areas that helped the City of Boston take top honors in the report --community-wide initiative, building policies, energy and water utility policies, and transportation. Highlights include:
- The progress the City has made towards its Climate Action Plan goals, which has been supported by the Mayor’s Greenovate Boston initiative and by the business and institutional leaders on the Boston Green Ribbon Commission;
- The dedicated outreach and effective partnerships the City has formed with community groups and utility companies to bring energy savings to residents and small businesses through its Renew Boston program;
- The City’s ability to expand and invest in self-financed building improvements through energy performance contracting, the Renew Boston Trust initiative which Mayor Walsh announced in December 2014; and
- The implementation of the City’s Building Energy Reporting and Disclosure Ordinance, which requires all large buildings to rate and report their energy use to improve energy management, starting in 2013.
Joining Boston in the top five rankings were New York City, Washington D.C., San Francisco and Seattle.
To read the report and its key findings and recommendations, and to view the interactive infographic, visit: http://aceee.org/local-policy/city-scorecard.
About ACEEE The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy acts as a catalyst to advance energy efficiency policies, programs, technologies, investments, and behaviors. For information about ACEEE and its programs, publications and conferences, visit http://aceee.org.
About Greenovate Boston Greenovate Boston is a community-driven movement to get all Bostonians involved in reducing the city's greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050, as outlined in the City's Climate Action Plan. By laying out the necessary steps to reduce the causes of and to prepare for climate change, the Climate Action Plan gives Greenovate Boston a Framework for building a greener, healthier and more prosperous city. Visithttp://greenovateboston.org for details.
