A new report released Thursday ranks Oregon and Washington among the top 10 energy efficient states. The fifth edition of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) State Energy Efficiency Scorecard found that states are continuing to develop and grow energy efficiency programs, despite economic woes and Congress’ failure to pass a comprehensive energy efficiency policy.
Pacific Northwest states stayed near the top of the list:
Oregon: No. 4
Washington: No. 5
Idaho: No. 26
For the first time California was knocked off the top ranking by Massachusetts. North Dakota came in last.
“Clearly, 2011 has not been kind to our economy, but energy efficiency remains a growth sector that attracts investment and creates jobs,” Michael Sciortino, the study’s lead author, said in a news release. “With even higher energy savings possible, we expect leading states to continue pushing the envelope next year and inspire those at the bottom of the rankings to embrace energy efficiency as a core strategy to gain a competitive advantage by generating cost-savings, promoting technological innovation, and stimulating growth.”
To rank states, the Scorecard looks at a variety of measures, including progress in residential, commercial, industrial and transportation areas.
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