Massachusetts Ousts California as the Most Energy Efficient State in the Nation
October 20th, 2011 - 1:38 pm
Lisa DeCanio, BostInnovation Staff
From
most innovative to greenest, this week is certainly a bright one for the state of Massachusetts. This morning, the
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) announced its 5th annual
50-state scorecard ranking states’ energy efficiency, and Massachusetts has earned the number one ranking on the list!
For the
past two years, Massachusetts has been battling California for the top spot, which the Golden State has held for four consecutive years for its “level of investment in energy efficiency across all sectors of the economy.” Over the past year, however, improvements in the Massachusetts’ energy efficiency have been greatly impacted by 2008’s
Green Communities Act, which allows energy efficiency programs to compete with traditional energy supply programs on a much larger scale.
“Thanks to our investments in innovation and infrastructure, Massachusetts is now leading the nation in energy efficiency,” said Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick in a press release. “Through our Green Communities Act, we set aggressive goals and laid the foundation for greater investment in energy efficiency — and now we are proud to be a model for the nation and world.”
Thomas Bourgeois, the Co-Director of the U.S. Department of Energy
Northeast Clean Energy Application Center told
Forbes.com, “The legislation requires electric utilities in Massachusetts to purchase all available energy efficiency improvements that cost less than it does to generate power. It has been a major boon to energy efficiency in Massachusetts over the past three years.”
New York follows California, taking the third place ranking, and Oregon earned the number four spot on the list. Additionally, Vermont, Washington and Rhode Island all tied for fifth place. North Dakota was ranked worst state in energy efficiency, with Wyoming, Mississippi, Kansas and Oklahoma rounding out the bottom five.
Results were calculated by looking at six areas of state policy: utility and public benefit programs, transportation policies, building energy codes, heat and power, state government officials and appliance efficiency standards. States earned points in these six categories, which were then weighed by the magnitude of each category’s energy saving impact.
The ACEEE is a non-profit group founded in 1980 and “dedicated to advancing energy efficiency as a means of promoting economic prosperity, energy security and environmental protection.” The ACEEE analyzes local, state and national policies and holds conferences and workshops to educate leaders for a greener nation.
Congrats, Mass!
