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Salt Lake City has joined the list of top 25 U.S. cities with the most Energy Star buildings, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Big cities Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Chicago, San Francisco dominate the 2011 rankings. Smaller cities, including Salt Lake City, Colorado Springs and Tampa, edged onto the latest list.
Buildings constructed with energy-conservation measures can be certified under the 20-year-old Energy Star program. And, by the end of 2011, nearly 16,500 certified buildings nationwide had helped save nearly $2.3 billion in annual utility bills.
The construction, EPA said, also helped avoid greenhouse-gas emissions equal to the output expected from energy use at more than 1.5 million homes.
"More and more organizations are discovering the value of Energy Star," EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson said, "as they work to cut costs and reduce their energy use."
The agency counted 67 Energy Star buildings in Salt Lake City, covering 7.4 million square feet of floor space. Their energy-conservation construction means the buildings will save $3.9 million annually and prevent emissions equal to what would come from 600 homes a year.
Energy Star labels can be found on more than 60 types of products in 1.3 million homes. For the complete rankings, see the web page: http://www.energystar.gov/topcities .