Twin Cities Among Top U.S. Cities With Energy Star Buildings

The Twin Cities may be cold much of the year. But it's hotbed for energy-efficient buildings.

A new ranking put out by the Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star program shows the Minneapolis-St. Paul area ranks 11th among U.S. cities with the most Energy Star-labeled buildings. The Energy Star program awards its labels to buildings and manufacturing plants that achieve a high level of energy performance and efficiency. (You can read more about the program's rating criteria here.)

The Twin Cities had 89, producing an estimated $36.4 million in energy cost savings, according to Energy Star. Energy Star-labeled buildings in the Twin Cities include Southtown Center in Bloomington and the 5th Street Towers in downtown Minneapolis.

The U.S. cities topping Energy Star's list were Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and San Francisco with 293, 204 and 173 Energy Star-labeled buildings in 2009, respectively. (Minnesota fell slightly down the list from its No. 8 ranking in 2008.)

Building owners interested in pursuing an Energy Star label must submit detailed information about their building and its energy usage into a database. The Energy Star program also provides guidance to help businesses boost their energy performance in hopes of eventually receiving the Energy Star label.

Energy Smart can help Minnesota businesses with Energy Star application process. For more information, contact Energy Smart at (651)292-4652.