At least 30 major U.S. cities have adopted stricter building energy codes since 2017, according to the 2019 City Clean Energy Scorecard released by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).
Since 2017, nine cities adopted more energy efficient building energy codes: Las Vegas, Mesa, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Reno, San Antonio, St. Louis, and Tucson. Five cities successfully advocated for their states to adopt more stringent standards: Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Seattle.
Another eight cities adopted efficiency requirements for existing buildings: Chicago, Denver, Minneapolis, New York, Reno, Salt Lake City, San José, and Washington, D.C. These changes will help address climate change, as residential and commercial buildings account for about 36% of total energy-related carbon dioxide emissions each year, ACEEE says.
Six states—Connecticut, Florida, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia—adopted updated codes that strengthened codes in 15 Scorecard cities. Three cities in the Northeast—Boston, New York, and Worcester, Mass., have all adopted stretch codes that go beyond baseline state codes.
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| Aug 11, 2010
Best AEC Firms of 2011/12
Later this year, we will launch Best AEC Firms 2012. We’re looking for firms that create truly positive workplaces for their AEC professionals and support staff. Keep an eye on this page for entry information. +
