State Energy Efficiency Rankings: Here’s Where NC Finished

NORTH CAROLINA — When it comes to producing clean energy, Massachusetts is apparently the brightest bulb in the nation. That’s according to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, which recently released its 13th annual report identifying each state’s commitment to energy efficiency.

The council ranked the 50 states on their commitment to six primary environmental policies: utility and public benefits programs and policies, transportation policies, building energy efficiency policies, policies encouraging combined heat and power systems, state government-led initiatives around energy efficiency, and appliance and equipment standards.

“The report captures the latest policy developments and state efforts to save energy and highlights opportunities and policy tools available to governors, state legislators, and regulators,” reads the introduction of the report.

North Carolina ended up No. 26 overall in the 2019 scorecard. Our state tied with Nevada and Texas. N.C. finished with a score of 15.5 out of 50 points, which is a -0.15 difference from the 2018 ranking and means there has been no improvement over last year.

Here’s what ACEEE found for North Carolina:

• Utility & Public Benefit Programs & Policies (20 pts): 3 points
• Transportation Policies (10 pts): 3.5 points
• Building Energy Efficiency Policies (8 pts): 4.5 points
• Combined Heat & Power (3 pts): 1 point
• State Government Initiatives (6 pts): 3.5 points
• Appliance Efficiency Standards (3 pts): 0 points

Massachusetts led the report for the ninth year in a row. Rounding out the top five were California, Rhode Island, Vermont and New York. Maryland was this year’s most-improved state: It scored 4.5 points higher than in 2018, and jumped three spots overall.

Wyoming took home the dubious honor of last place. The state finished with an overall score of only 4.5, and posted a dismal 0 in both building energy efficiency policies and appliance efficiency standards. Kentucky also had a particularly bad showing. The Bluegrass State fell nine spots in the 2019 rankings, the steepest drop of any state..

“With so may states advancing efficiency policies on multiple fronts, 2019 offered a wealth of examples of what is possible when policymakers unite around commitment to clean energy and climate issues,” the report said.

Here are the top 10 overall states in the 2019 US Scorecard for Clean Energy from the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy:

1. Massachusetts: 44.5 points
2. California: 43.5 points
3. Rhode Island: 40.5 points
4. Vermont: 40.5 points
5. New York: 37 points
6. Connecticut: 36.5 points
7. Maryland: 34.5 points
8. Minnesota: 34.5 points
9. Oregon: 32 points
10. Washington: 31.5 points