Here Are The Most — And Least — Energy Efficient States

Massachusetts has been ranked the most energy efficient state in America, according to a new report by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy. The advocacy group, based in Washington, D.C., released its 12th annual scorecard last week, finding that while some states tried to retain their energy efficiency standards, lawmakers in other states actively worked against them, following in the footsteps of the federal government.

Massachusetts, which actually saw its overall score dip slightly from 2016, was lauded for launching statewide energy efficiency planning efforts to set new three-year savings targets, the report noted.

"This reflects a growing trend among northeastern states to take a holistic approach to energy savings, including not only electricity and natural gas but also nonutility heating fuels," the authors wrote.

Here are the top 10 states for energy efficiency:

1. Massachusetts
2. California
3. Rhode Island
4. Vermont
5. Connecticut
6. New York
7. Oregon
8. Minnesota
9. Washington
10. Maryland

The ACEEE said states are investing more money in efficiency and clean energy — likely driven over concerns about climate change — even as the Trump administration loosens environmental rules. States spent just under $8 billion on energy efficiency in the utility sector last year, up from $7.6 billion in 2016, and saved nearly 27.3 million megawatt-hours. That’s a 7.3 percent increase in electricity savings and could power about 2.5 million homes for a year.

The state scorecards are based on more than 30 policy areas and metrics, though utility and public benefits programs and policies accounted for 40 percent of the overall score. A public benefits fund provides long-term funding for energy efficiency initiatives, typically via a small surcharge on electricity consumption collected on customers’ bills.

Massachusetts ranked No. 1 in the country for the eighth consecutive year. The report also highlighted that Massachusetts approved $220 million to modernize its electric grid, with the goal of improving efficiency and reliability and pave the way for the deployment of smart meters.

California and eight other states rolled out updated plans that encourage people to buy zero-emission vehicles, while Missouri moved to incentivize the rollout of more electric vehicle charging stations. Furthermore, more states are pushing for zero-energy construction, referring to buildings that produce as much power as they use.

“States are stepping up on energy efficiency, including major new commitments in New Jersey, New York, and Virginia, helping to address the very limited activity from Washington, DC,” noted Steve Nadel, the organization’s executive director. “These efforts contributed to the 2.25 million-plus efficiency jobs last year in the United States.”

The authors praised New Jersey, Missouri, Colorado, Connecticut and South Dakota for improvements in their scores. New Jersey improved its ranking the most, jumping five spots to No. 18. The Garden State established new energy savings targets and made moves to rejoin the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a multi-state cap and trade emissions compact.

On the flip side, Iowa fell the furthest, dropping five spots to No. 24, mostly due to newly signed legislation that imposes a restrictive cap on efficiency programs and allows customers to opt out of paying for some of them.

The group recommended several strategies to improve their scores. Among them, establish — and adequately fund — an energy efficiency resource standard (or similar energy savings target) and adopt more stringent building energy codes.

Click here to read the full report.

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