North Carolina is smack dab in the middle of the ranks when it comes to energy efficiency, according to a new report from nonprofit American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. The 2019 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard ranks the Old North State No. 26, tying with Nevada and Texas. N.C. was also ranked 26th in 2018.
ACEEE notes that although North Carolina offers financial incentives for energy efficiency, several were discontinued recently. The state was praised for requiring efficient buildings and fleets, benchmarking energy use in public buildings, encouraging the use of energy savings performance contracts, and for performing research focused on energy efficiency at several institutions across the state.
The list compares states across six policy areas: utility and public benefits programs, transportation, building energy efficiency, combined heat and power, state government-led initiatives around energy efficiency, and appliance and equipment standards. Massachusetts, California, Rhode Island and Vermont topped this year’s rankings. The states were highlighted for posting high electric utility savings, adopting more stringent vehicle emissions standards, and offering loan and grant programs to spur energy savings. ACEEE ranked Louisiana, West Virginia, North Dakota and Wyoming last on the list.
