Housing

L.A.'s New 'Energy Atlas' Maps Who Sucks the Most Off the Grid

Patterns of consumption fall along class lines in the nation’s most populous county.
L.A. County residential building energy use, by city. LA Energy Atlas

In the U.S., commercial and residential buildings emit nearly 40 percent of all CO2 emissions. Their energy use—which represents nearly 70 percent of the country’s electricity load—is the biggest driver of their output.

But not all buildings, nor their occupants, use energy equally. Not knowing which kinds of buildings consume what is like not being able to gauge differences between a diesel truck and a hybrid car.