Tennessee Among Most Improved in Energy Efficiency

This is great news! Tennessee has the highest energy usage in the country so we had lots of room for improvement! From yesterday's Memphis Business Journal...

Tennessee among most improved states in energy efficiency

Tennessee may have some work to do on energy efficiency, but the Volunteer state ranks as one of the most improved on a 50-state scorecard on energy efficiency policies, programs, and practices from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).

In the survey published Wednesday, Tennessee was one of a few states to make a significant move up the ranks. It was ranked 38 this year compared to 46 in 2008.

“The most improved states are stepping up their efforts in several ways, such as adopting new building energy codes and setting aggressive new energy savings targets,” said Eldridge. “By highlighting these most improved states, we hope to encourage others to step up their efforts to implement energy efficiency as their first-priority resource.”

Other 'most improved states' include: Maine (up from 19 to 10); Colorado (up from 24 to 16); Delaware (up from 32 to 20); District of Columbia (up from 30 to a tie for 20); South Dakota (up from 47 to 36).

States that most need to improve, according to the survey, are Arkansas, Missouri, Louisiana, Georgia, Alaska, West Virginia, Nebraska, Alabama, Mississippi, North Dakota, and Wyoming.

The 10 states doing the most to implement energy efficiency are California, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Oregon, New York, Vermont, Washington, Minnesota, Rhode Island, and Maine.

The 2009 report is ACEEE’s third edition of its annual state-by-state ranking on the adoption and implementation of energy efficiency policies. The scorecard examines six state energy efficiency policy areas: utility-sector and public benefits programs and policies; transportation polices; building energy codes; combined heat and power; state government initiatives; and appliance efficiency standards.

“The states continue to be leaders in advancing energy efficiency policies and programs,” ACEEE Executive Director Steven Nadel said in a news release. “In fact, this growing and deepening commitment to energy efficiency is so strong that the current recession has not put a dent in the vast majority of state programs. And that is for good reason -- Energy efficiency is the only resource that can actually reduce energy consumption while growing the economy, making efficiency the ‘first fuel’ states can use to balance their energy portfolios.”