City of Atlanta Joins U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Communities Alliance to Further Energy Efficiency

ATLANTA – (RealEstateRama) — The City of Atlanta announced today that it has joined the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Communities Alliance (BCA), a collaborative effort among local governments, philanthropies, nonprofit organizations and leading private companies to accelerate local clean energy progress and leadership across the country.

Through the BCA, the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Sustainability will continue its efforts to educate and encourage residents and businesses to reduce wasted energy in homes and buildings, as well as expand renewable energy and sustainable transportation options, harness new energy-saving technologies and invest in resilient power systems and community infrastructure.

“We are proud to be one of 60 partners joining the Better Communities Alliance committed to delivering energy efficient and sustainable solutions,” said Stephanie Stuckey Benfield, the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability. “The City of Atlanta currently leads nationally in the Better Buildings Initiative, and is uniquely positioned to offer insight to the alliance’s peer network. We are also excited to learn from other partners innovative approaches to accelerating local clean energy progress.”

The Better Communities Alliance is part of the broader Better Buildings Initiative, which aims to make commercial, public, industrial, and residential buildings 20 percent more energy efficient over the next decade. Through Better Buildings, public and private sector organizations across the country work together to share and replicate successful strategies to drive energy efficiency.

The City of Atlanta is currently ranked number one in the country in the Better Buildings Initiative with 104 million square feet of building space committed to reducing energy and water usage by 20 percent by 2020. The City of Atlanta reported earlier this year that it had already met his water reduction goal.

“Cities and counties are already centers for clean energy innovation across the United States,” said Franklin Orr, DOE’s Under Secretary for Science and Energy. “Through the Better Communities Alliance, DOE is committed to further supporting America’s local governments and working with leaders from the public and private sectors to deliver energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainable transportation solutions that create cleaner and more prosperous communities for millions of Americans.”

There are 34 local governments serving 40 million Americans that are committed to the BCA and working with DOE to accelerate local clean energy progress and bolster leadership. Local government partners will receive streamlined access to DOE clean energy resources, opportunities to apply for resources, access to forums for peer networking and expert dialogue, and federal recognition of clean energy achievements. The BCA is also partnering with 26 public and private organizations.

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For more information about the City of Atlanta, please visit http://www.atlantaga.gov or watch City Channel 26. Follow the City of Atlanta on Facebook and Twitter @CityofAtlanta. Follow Mayor Reed on Facebook and Twitter @Kasim Reed

Anne Torres, Director
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Jewanna Gaither, Deputy Press Secretary
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