Scorecard “Rates the States” in Energy Efficiency Policies

Vermont, Connecticut and California lead the nation in the race to adopt energy efficiency policies, programs and technologies, according to the 2006 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard.

 

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) released its findings last month, in concert with federal energy legislation being considered by Congress. States spend about three times as much on energy efficiency programs as the federal government and are leading the way on policies that drive energy efficiency investment, according to the authors. The scorecard ranks each state and the District of Columbia within the following eight categories:

• Spending on utility and public benefits energy efficiency programs;
• Energy efficiency resource standards;
• Combined heat and power;
• Building energy codes;
• Transportation policies;
• Appliance and equipment;
• Tax incentives; and,
• State “lead by example” programs and R&D.

Overall, Vermont, Connecticut and California tied for first place, followed by Massachusetts, Oregon, Washington, and New York. The top 10 states earned between 20-30 points out of a possible 44, while the bottom 26 states scored between 0.5 and 10 points, the report notes.

 

The authors considered states’ tax incentives for green commercial buildings, new homes, home weatherization, equipment, and vehicles. Top performers in this category were Oregon, Montana and the District of Columbia. According to the report, Oregon is generally considered to operate the most comprehensive state energy efficiency tax incentive program, offering a successful Residential and Business Energy Tax Credit, incentives for purchasing energy-efficient appliances, and tax credits for the costs of servicing heating and air conditioning systems.

 

States that administer effective energy management programs and promote energy efficiency and clean energy solutions are encouraging economic development in local and regional communities, the report states. New York, California, New Hampshire and Wisconsin all provide programs that reduce energy consumption in state buildings, reducing energy costs that can account for as much as 10 percent of a typical government’s annual operating costs, it observes.

 

New York created an executive order in 2001 calling for the “Green and Clean” state building and vehicles program, which sets targets for reducing energy consumption in state buildings and government-owned vehicles. NYSERDA, the organization responsible for coordinating and assisting agencies with their responsibilities, reported that by fiscal year 2003-04, state entities had decreased energy use per square foot by 10.2 percent.

 

In the R&D category, California, New York, Iowa, Wisconsin and Florida scored the highest, each earning one point for state energy R&D institutions. State R&D efforts are imperative because they provide a variety of services to promote the creation, development and commercialization of new technologies for energy efficiency. In addition, state R&D efforts can address a number of market failures that persist in the energy services marketplace, the report states.

 

The State Energy Efficiency Scorecard for 2006 is available from ACEEE at: http://www.aceee.org/pubs/e075.htm