The annual Clean Energy Scorecard published by the nonprofit American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) reveals the U.S. metros making significant strides toward energy efficiency. In 2021, New York became the first city to ban the use of natural gas in all new construction projects, and its more progressive building policies pushed the Big Apple into the top 10 list, The New York Times reports.
San Francisco took the top spot for its energy efficient transportation policies and local government operations, which prioritized investments for efficient and sustainable vehicle fleets and infrastructure. The West Coast dominated the list of energy efficient cities with four California metros in the top 10.
San Francisco, Washington and Boston rose to the top in the transportation policies category, which measured investments in efficient and sustainable vehicle fleets and infrastructure, among other efforts.
In the category of community wide initiatives, equity-driven approaches were heavily rewarded, such as those that gave marginalized residents a formal role in energy policy decision making. Seattle and San Jose, Calif., scored highest here.
For the full list of energy efficient metros …
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