Montgomery County is Part of Washington DC Metro Area Rank #1 in Environmental Protection Agency’s List of 2016 Top Cities

For Immediate Release: Monday, April 4, 2016

The Washington, DC metropolitan area, which includes Montgomery County, has earned a spot in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) annual list of U.S. metropolitan areas with the most ENERGY STAR® certified buildings. The Top Cities list ranks cities according to how many buildings in their area earned ENERGY STAR certification in 2015. To qualify for the ENERGY STAR, a building must outperform 75 percent of similar buildings nationwide, by earning an ENERGY STAR score of 75 or higher on a 1-100 scale.

The District of Columbia metropolitan area took first place in the Top Cities list, with 686 local buildings and a total of more than 154 million square feet of space earning the ENERGY STAR in 2015. Montgomery County continues to provide building owners and managers with the technical guidance, best practices, and training they need to make their buildings more energy efficient, save money, and reduce carbon emissions.

“Montgomery County is pleased to share with other regional jurisdictions the #1 ranking on the EPA’s 2016 Top Cities list,” said County Executive Ike Leggett. "Montgomery County is committed to working with our local business leaders to reduce our carbon footprint and spend less on energy, which advances our work to build a stronger economy and healthier community.”

“EPA is pleased to recognize the Washington, DC metro area among America’s top cities paving the path toward a more energy-efficient economy,” said Jean Lupinacci, Chief of the ENERGY STAR Commercial & Industrial program. “Montgomery County, as part of the Washington, DC metro area, and the other top cities continue to demonstrate the economic, public health, and environmental benefits of simple, cost-effective reductions in energy use.”

The Washington DC, metro area’s first place achievement on EPA’s Top Cities list would not have been possible without Montgomery County’s progressive building owner community. The Blair House, Blair Plaza, and Blair East multifamily buildings in Silver Spring, owned by The Tower Companies, earned the ENERGY STAR in 2015. The Tower Companies illustrates that business operations, green practices, and tenant satisfaction can work together for a common sustainable goal. Another example of a leading building that earned the ENERGY STAR in 2015 is Bethesda Crossing North owned by MRP Real Estate Services, an organization honored as an Early Bird Benchmarker during the County’s pilot and recognition program at the start of our Benchmarking Law program.

More than 27,000 buildings across America earned EPA’s ENERGY STAR by the end of last year. These buildings saved more than $3.8 billion on utility bills and prevented greenhouse gas emissions equal to the annual electricity use of nearly 2.6 million homes.

Commercial buildings that apply for EPA’s ENERGY STAR must have their performance verified by a professional engineer or a registered architect. ENERGY STAR certified buildings use an average of 35 percent less energy and are responsible for 35 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than typical buildings. Many types of commercial facilities can earn the ENERGY STAR, including office buildings, K-12 schools, and retail stores.

For more information about the 2016 ENERGY STAR Top Cities list, visit www.energystar.gov/TopCities. For more information about Montgomery County visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov.

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Release ID: 16-123
Media Contact: Judy Stiles 240-777-6507