From the Editor

If you live in Massachusetts, give yourself a pat on the back — for the second year in a row, you’re the No. 1 most energy efficient state, according to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy’s (ACEEE’s) annual State Energy Efficiency Scorecard report. No surprises on the silver and bronze in this year’s report, either: California is No. 2 and New York is No. 3.

In Massachusetts, according to a recent state report, the state’s utilities expect to invest $2.2 billion in energy efficiency resources between 2013 and 2015.  Massachusetts’ Green Communities Act, signed in 2008, has helped promote one of the most ambitious state savings targets, with a 2012 goal of 2.4 percent annual electric savings, increasing to 2.5 percent per year from 2013 to 2015.  In other words, that’s wicked awesome!

About the Scorecard, which was released earlier this month: It “benchmarks the states according to the policies and programs that encourage the efficient use of energy in the utility, buildings, industry, transportation, and public sectors.” This boils down to two main criteria, says ACEEE: 1) a regulatory environment that encourages efficiency, and 2) Successful state-funded programs that save energy.

How much stock anyone should put in such scorecards or rankings is certainly up for debate. But if nothing else, they’re fun to peruse. And if you live in Massachusetts, you can certainly be proud of the fact that energy efficiency is at least one area you’re beating New York! 

Cheers,

Greg Zimmerman, editor  

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