On October 21, 2014, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) released the eighth edition of the State Energy Efficiency Scorecard. The report provides an annual benchmark of the progress of state energy efficiency policies and programs. The report estimates total energy efficiency budgets were $7.7 billion in 2013; this figure includes $6.3 billion for electricity efficiency programs and $1.4 billion for natural gas program budgets.

Key Details

• The report benchmarks states across six policy areas: (1) utility policies and programs, (2) transportation initiatives, (3) building energy codes, (4) combined heat and power development, (5) state government-led initiatives, and (6) state-level appliance standards
• Savings from electricity energy efficiency programs in 2013 totaled approximately 24.4 MWh, a 7% increase over 2011 savings
• Savings from gas energy efficiency programs in 2012 totaled 276 million therms, a 19% increase over 2011 savings
• The top-five states in 2013 were Massachusetts, California, Rhode Island, Oregon, and Vermont
• The most-improved states were Arkansas, the District of Columbia, Kentucky, and Wisconsin
• ACEEE’s 2014 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard Rankings

                                             ACEEE’s 2014 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard Rankings

Implications

The report shows growth in energy efficiency investments and savings—a continuation of trends from previous years. Moving forward, investments and savings will continue to expand as federal and state policies encourage the use of energy efficiency measures and technologies.

More Information

ACEEE: State Energy Efficiency Scorecard

This report is part of the Clean Tech & Sustainability Minute series. To view all featured Minutes, please click here.