L.A. Region Tops EPA's List for Most Energy Efficient Buildings

Map of Energy Saver buildings in Los Angeles | Play with this map here

Map of Energy Saver buildings in Los Angeles | Play with this map here
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency yesterday announced that Los Angeles has the "greatest number of energy efficient buildings that merited the EPA’s Energy Star in 2009." But this is the "Los Angeles" as in the L.A. region, which apparently includes San Diego.

The list of approximately 296 Southern California energy efficient buildings includes the Directors Guild of America on Sunset Blvd., the Metropolitan Water District headquarters in downtown, the Century Park Center on Pico Blvd., the Arena Corporate Center in Anaheim, Maguire Properties Lantana West in Santa Monica, Legacy Oceangate Tower in Long Beach and the office building located at 501 W. Broadway in San Diego.

This is the second year the EPA has ranked cities and regions. Los Angeles kept it's top title spot with Washington D.C. coming in at 2nd, San Francisco in 3rd, Denver in 4th and Chicago in 5th.

"Energy use in commercial buildings and manufacturing plants accounts for nearly half of all energy consumption in the U.S. at a cost of over $200 billion per year, more than any other sector of the economy," says the EPA. They also account for the majority of green house gases produced in the country.

In 2008, Los Angeles' green building ordinance went into effect while green building codes were slated to begin statewide this year.