The Role Of Energy Efficiency In Boston’s Clean Energy Transition – The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) today released the 2015 edition of its biannual City Energy Efficiency Scorecard, ranking US cities based on their local energy policies and initiatives. And for the second time in a row, Boston is at the top of the class.

“All aspects of city life, from the buildings where people work and live to the way they travel to the services they enjoy, can be improved by increasing energy efficiency,” said David Ribeiro, lead author of the report, during a press conference on Wednesday. Being energy efficient means using less energy to provide the same service, such as heating and lighting a building or moving from one place to another. And it comes with many benefits. Using less energy can save communities money and help conserve resources such as oil and natural gas. And reducing energy use is key in the fight against global climate change.

The Role Of Energy Efficiency In Boston’s Clean Energy Transition

“Many cities see energy efficiency as central to their broader initiatives to improve the sustainability and resilience of their communities,” write the authors of the ACEEE report. “These efforts aim to improve economic, social and environmental well-being while developing the capacity of the city and residents to respond to change.”

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The scorecard rates cities based on five criteria related to their energy efficiency: local government operations, community-wide initiatives, building policies, energy and water policies, and transportation policies. Each category is worth a certain number of points, totaling 100.

It was a close contest, with each of the top five cities scoring within 10 points. Boston took first place with a total of 82 and was the only city to receive more than 80 percent of possible points. How did the city do so well?

The list’s authors attribute Boston’s success to a number of strong citywide energy policies and local initiatives, which have helped it score well across the board. But the city really took the cake as the top scorer in the building policy and energy and water policy categories, which evaluate energy efficiency goals, electricity and natural gas efficiency spending, and water efficiency efforts.

Boston’s Building Energy Reporting and Disclosure Ordinance requires large and medium-sized buildings to report their energy and water use and complete an energy assessment every five years. And, the report states, buildings must improve their efficiency if they are not ENERGY STAR certified or show improvements. And the city’s Renew Boston initiative earned points in the community policy category. Introduced in 2009, the program aims to reduce electricity demand by 200 megawatts by 2017. Efforts to meet this goal have included the launch of Renew Boston Solar, a program that encourages widespread adoption of solar technology throughout the city. And Renew Boston also targets homeowners and small businesses by offering free energy assessments and providing incentives for adopting efficiency improvements such as insulation.

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Boston also has a climate action plan, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050. Part of this plan includes reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMT) by 7.5 percent by 2020. Hubway, the city’s bike-sharing system, is one the manner in which the city government addresses that goal, helping the city earn a relatively high score for transportation policy.

And Boston was also among the top scorers in the community initiatives category, thanks to the Greenovate Boston campaign. This program aims to help the city meet its emissions reduction goals by engaging citizens in the city’s climate and sustainability initiatives. Engagement opportunities include community summits, personal carbon challenges, bike weeks and guidelines to help citizens improve energy efficiency in their homes. “Community contribution is a really key element,” Austin Blackmon, Boston’s chief of environment, energy and open space, said during a news conference Wednesday. “One thing we really focus on is when we communicate with our residents and businesses, we make sure we reach those people who haven’t heard the message yet.”

Thanks to these broad initiatives, Boston was able to lead the group with 82 points. But the other cities in the top five were not too far behind. Here’s a quick look at how they stack up.

New York was a leading city for community initiatives, thanks to its “planning for future distributed energy systems, urban heat island mitigation strategies and progress toward community-wide greenhouse gas reduction goals,” the report said. Some of these initiatives are PlaNIC, which includes a range of sustainability and resilience goals; MillionTreesNIC, a tree planting initiative; and CoolRoofs, which applies reflective roofs to buildings and reduces carbon emissions and energy output related to cooling.

Boston Ranked #1 City For Energy Efficiency

New York is also among the best cities for building policies. The city’s Green, Bigger Buildings Plan includes requirements for building owners to measure their energy and water consumption and meet certain energy codes.

Washington jumped to third place this year with a 20.5-point increase over its 2013 score, making it the city with the most improvement from the previous map. It is a leading city for transportation policy, with a handful of initiatives, including car and bike sharing programs, to increase commuter participation in public transportation, cycling, and walking.

It is also among the leading cities for construction policy. In addition to strict energy codes, the District also adopted a green building code last year, which requires new construction projects to adhere to certain green building standards. And, the report added, the city is on track to exceed its climate action goals, which aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from local government operations by 30 percent and from the District as a whole by 20 percent by 2020.

San Francisco fell from third to fourth in this year’s rankings, but still maintained a high overall score. The city also maintains energy and water conservation ordinances, requiring property owners to install fixtures such as low-flow shower heads and efficient faucets and toilets, and to insulate attics and water heaters. In addition, San Francisco Energy Watch is a program that helps property owners get energy efficient equipment and offers financial incentives in some cases. And, like the other top five cities, San Francisco has a climate action plan that outlines emission reduction goals for the future. The report also notes that San Francisco is moving up the ranks when it comes to building policy by improving its energy code and enforcement policies.

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Seattle also saw a significant jump from 2013, adding nearly 10 points to its previous score. It is also among the leading cities for building policy, with a strict energy code and enforcement policy. Plans for new buildings must be reviewed by city staff members, not team architects and engineers, and compliance with city codes must be tested by a third-party firm.

Seattle also scored well in transportation, earning high marks for its shift transportation. And the city has made some notable achievements in reducing energy over the past few decades. The report states that between 1990 and 2010, Seattle reduced per capita energy use in local government by an average of 1 percent per year, and between 2005 and 2012, the city reduced total per capita energy use by 1.3 percent per year.

Despite a strong front from the country’s leading cities, the report’s authors warn that even the top five have room for improvement. Boston was the only city to exceed 80 points, and only the top 13 cities exceeded 50. The report includes a list of recommended strategies for improvement, such as improving the efficiency of local government, adopting energy-saving goals, improving efficiency in new and existing buildings and be more active in monitoring energy performance in the city. “Each city will need to develop or refine its own efficiency improvement plan based on its own needs and priorities,” the authors write.

The role of cities in the clean energy movement is a growing preoccupation among researchers and activists. More than half of the world’s population currently lives in urban areas, and this percentage could rise to two-thirds by the middle of the century. Additionally, the report states, 80 percent of US energy consumption occurs in cities.

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With so many people migrating to the world’s urban centers, cities have an increasing opportunity to make a global impact by reducing energy production and carbon emissions. “Cities’ large share of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions means that energy efficiency in urban areas and by local governments is critical to solving energy and environmental challenges in the country and the world,” the authors write. A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you have connected securely to a .gov website. Only share sensitive information on official, secure websites.

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