Who's Keeping Score On Energy Efficiency? Glad You Asked...

Posted by Energy Wire on October 29, 2010 at 9:00 AM

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE.org) has released its annual scorecard comparing states’ policies, documenting best practices, and recognizing leadership among the states. The Scorecard encourages states to continue to raise the bar in their efficiency commitments.
California stayed in the number one spot for the fourth year in a row, with Massachusetts running a close second.

Here are a few of the Scorecard’s key findings:

  • Despite federal government inaction, states are advancing energy efficiency policies and programs in an effort to create jobs and stimulate their economies.
  • State budgets for energy efficiency in 2009 were almost double the level of spending in 2007, increasing from $2.5 billion to $4.3 billion.
  • Twenty-seven states have adopted or have pending Energy Efficiency Resource Standards (EERS) that establish long-term, fixed efficiency savings targets — double the number of states in 2006.

Here’s a more “colorful” observation on the scorecard by the New York Times’ Green - A Blog About Energy and the Environment:

All of the Top 10 states in energy efficiency were blue states, having voted Democrat in the last three presidential elections. Those at the bottom of the Scorecard were nearly all red, voting Republican.

But Maggie Molina, a research associate with ACEEE, says that energy efficiency is “a bipartisan policy measure.”

“We see red states ranking in the top half of the scorecard, like Utah (ranking 12th and “most improved”), Nevada (19th), North Carolina (24th) and Idaho (26th).”

Check out the Scorecard. How does your state rank?