Owners of commercial buildings across the country are taking steps to make their properties more energy efficient, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
The agency says the energy consumed by commercial buildings is the largest source of emissions in many cities.
But more than 28,000 buildings have earned the EPA's Energy Star certification by becoming more energy efficient in order to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
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Every year, the EPA puts out a list of the cities with the most energy efficient buildings across the country.
This year, Washington, D.C., was the number one major metro, with 686 green buildings. Los Angeles and San Francisco rounded out the top three.
San Jose topped the EPA’s list of mid-sized cities with the most green buildings, followed by Honolulu and Virginia Beach.
According to the EPA, Midland, Texas, had the highest number of energy efficient buildings — 34 — out of the country’s smallest cities. Sioux City, Iowa, and Martinsville, Virginia, followed.
The EPA says energy efficient buildings have saved more than $3.8 billion on utility bills — and they have prevented the greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to the annual electricity used by more than 2.6 million homes.
The EPA ranked cities based on the number of buildings that earned the Energy Star in each area in 2015. The agency released its first list of city rankings in 2009.