WASHINGTON - The U.S. Conference of Mayors has endorsed EPA's Energy Star Challenge as a key strategy in meeting the goals of the conference's Climate Protection Agreement. As part of the resolution, the organization will encourage its members to support and take the Energy Star Challenge, a national campaign to improve energy efficiency by 10 percent or more in commercial and industrial buildings across the United States.
"The U.S. Conference of Mayors is leading the way on climate protection for cities across the country with the help of Energy Star," said Bob Meyers, EPA's acting assistant administrator for Air and Radiation. "Energy efficiency is a win-win for cities looking to save energy and protect the environment."
The U.S. Conference of Mayors represents America's 1,139 cities with populations of 30,000 or more. Mayors will encourage energy efficiency goals and improvements for city-owned buildings and provide a model for local building owners to follow. EPA said it will help mayors from coast to coast reduce carbon emissions and decrease energy use with tools and resources to measure and track building energy use, make improvements to existing buildings, and design new buildings for superior energy efficiency.
EPA estimates that if the energy efficiency of commercial and industrial buildings in the United States improved 10 percent, Americans would save $20 billion each year in utility bills for its commercial and industrial buildings and reduce greenhouse gas emissions equal to those from about 30 million vehicles.
More than 100 organizations, including state governments, leading associations, cities, and counties have taken the Energy Star Challenge. According to the EPA, businesses, organizations, and governments that are leaders in energy efficiency use about 30 percent less energy than their competitors.
For more information about the Energy Star Challenge, visit www.energystar.gov/challenge.
Publication date:07/02/2007
