Communities Commit to Reducing Energy Waste in Buildings

The City Energy Project, a joint effort of the Institute for Market Transformation and Natural Resources Defense Council, has announced the addition of ten communities that have committed to reducing energy waste in buildings.

Launched in 2014 with an initial cohort of ten cities, the City Energy Project is a national initiative to create healthier and more prosperous American cities by improving the energy efficiency of buildings. The newest additions include:

• Des Moines, Iowa
• Fort Collins, Colo.
• Miami-Dade County, Fla.
• New Orleans, La.
• Pittsburgh, Pa.
• Providence, R.I.
• Reno, Nev.
• San Jose, Calif.
• St. Louis, Mo.
• St. Paul, Minn.

“NEMA congratulates the newest City Energy Project communities and thanks them for leading by example on energy efficiency,” says NEMA Senior Director of Government Relations and Strategic Initiatives Patrick Hughes. “Buildings consume 40 percent of energy and about 80 percent of electricity used in the United States, and much of that is wasted. NEMA looks forward to continuing our partnership with the City Energy Project and these new communities to promote the adoption of energy-saving technologies such as advanced lighting systems, building controls, energy-efficient motors, and variable-frequency drives.”

A 2016 survey commissioned by NEMA found that in New York City—the first U.S. city to implement a building energy benchmarking and transparency ordinance—77 percent of facility managers made low- or no-cost changes to operate their buildings more efficiently as a result of New York’s benchmarking ordinance, and 75 percent of facility managers invested in new energy-efficient equipment as a result of the ordinance. NEMA encourages the new City Energy Project communities to adopt similar building energy benchmarking and transparency policies to spur economic development and to support local manufacturing and construction jobs.

More information about the City Energy Project is available here.