CHICAGO – Citing its status as a leading city for accelerating and promoting energy efficiency strategies through local programs and policies, the City of Chicago has earned a 2017 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award. The honor is awarded annually by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) to honor organizations that have made outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through energy efficiency.

Chicago’s award is based on his Retrofit Chicago program, Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s comprehensive program to reduce energy use in municipal, commercial, community, and resident buildings. In response, Mayor Emanuel issued the following statement:

“The City of Chicago is honored to be the first major American city to win the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star Award. This award represents a national recognition of Chicago’s concerted, collaborative effort to cut carbon emissions,” Mayor Emanuel said. “From closing our coal plants, to retrofitting our buildings, to converting our outdoor lighting to LED we are taking meaningful, measurable steps to improve our environment. At a time when the White House is rolling back progress in the fight against climate change, Chicago is moving forward to protect our residents and create a truly sustainable future.”

The honor will officially be awarded at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. on April 26th.