Parts of Treasury Building are more than 170 years old, but it’s also energy efficient for modern times. (Photo by Jim Hamann)
It’s no secret that D.C. has increasingly become a city known for being environmentally conscious city in recent years. Nationals Park is the first major sport stadium to be certified green, and D.C. leads the nation in LEED-certified energy efficient buildings. But a new report published today by nonprofit advocacy group the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy shows just how much the District’s energy efficiency has grown in a year.
According to the report, D.C. ranks 21st in the country—compared to states— in the 2014 Energy Efficiency Scorecard, moving up nine spots from last year. The report shows that it scored 20 points out of a possible 50 (last year it scored 14), thanks to factors like transportation policies, building energy codes, government-led energy initiatives, and more.
Compared to our neighbors, D.C. is still behind Maryland, which continues to hold a score of 30, as it did in 2013, but is still more energy efficient than Virginia, which scored 12.5—up one from 2013.
So, will D.C. continue to get more energy efficient? It’s likely, the report predicts: “As the D.C. Sustainable Energy Utility continues to ramp up implementation and monitoring of programs, it is likely that the district will realize more significant energy savings.”
The report says that “incorporating efficiency more specifically into lead by example activities, and pursuing a wider range of policies to encourage CHP deployment, would also go a long way toward improving Washington, D.C.’s score.”
You can see the full snapshot of D.C.’s Energy Efficiency Scorecard below:
