ACEEE logo

A growing number of states are showing US leadership on clean energy by adopting energy-saving rules for buildings, appliances, and vehicles, according to the 2019 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard released by the nonprofit American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).

The 50-state Scorecard reveals increasing state commitment to energy efficiency with a record number of states adopting new efficiency standards for a variety of products and equipment. From coast to coast, states are taking concerted effort to promote electric vehicles, efficient products, smart buildings, cold climate heat pumps, and zero-energy building codes.

States continue to update and strengthen codes for residential and commercial buildings. Since the publication of the 2018 International Energy Conservation Code, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Illinois, and Ohio have adopted the updated codes and numerous other states are considering adopting them as well. Nebraska, which had not updated its building codes since 2009, now has the strongest codes in the Midwest. Some states are also moving toward building performance standards for existing commercial buildings.

Every year, ACEEE ranks states on their energy efficiency policy and program efforts and provides recommendations for ways that states can improve their performance in a variety of policy areas.

View the full scorecard rankings or download the full report.