D.C. has more energy efficient cities than West Coast cities

Washington is considered to be a more energy-efficient city than San Francisco or Seattle. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy ranks D.C. Number 3 in its new Energy Efficiency Scorecard, released this week. The biennial ranking measures the nation’s fifty-one biggest cities in five policy areas: energy and water utilities, transportation policies, community-wide initiatives, buildings policies and local government operations. D.C. got the highest score with 76.5, trailing only Boston (82) and New York (78). San Francisco (75.5) and Seattle (75) finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Washington was also one of the most-improved cities over the 2013 rankings. The city got high marks for transportation policies, (including bike and car sharing programs) and was praised for its “high levels of transit service,” and received kudos for its building energy codes. The ACEEE report made the suggestion that the city establish a clearly defined energy target for clean drinking water and wastewater treatment services.