As far as horse race stories go, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) state scorecard can be boring. California and Massachusetts pretty much always win.
But this year Louisiana is adding excitement to the ranking. The state, which tends to hover around the bottom of the list, leapt forward nine points since ACEEE issued the last scorecard in 2022.
Louisiana’s “most improved” status came after it adopted strong building energy codes in response to weather disasters that spiked insurance costs.
To be clear, Louisiana still has some work to do; it ranks 37 nationally.
Other findings of note from the energy efficiency scorecard.
- California claimed the top stop for the seventh time. Massachusetts was a predictable second, followed by New York.
- State energy efficiency investments rebounded to a record high of $8.8 billion, but most new investment was confined to five states: Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania
- Colorado reached the top 10 for the first time, advancing six spots to seventh place. ACEEE attributed its ascendence to its clean vehicle policies, building performance, and appliance standards.
- New Jersey ranked eighth, returning to the top 10 for the first time since 2008.
For states, the scorecard has become the source of bragging rights (or embarrassment for the low scorers). But it serves a deeper purpose of helping state energy policymakers improve programs. ACEEE bases the scorecard on data collected from state utility commissions, state energy offices, and publicly available data.
“American families have endured years of rising costs and need relief. Energy efficiency upgrades lower utility bills, and now is the time for state policymakers and regulators to help more families see those savings,” said Mark Kresowik, senior policy director at ACEEE and lead author of the scorecard, now in its 16th edition.
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