States are investing more into energy efficiency and power savings, according to the 2018 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard.
The report from the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy identified New Jersey among its most-improved states. This is due to to recent plans by the Murphy administration to boost investments in efficiency and clean energy.
The scorecard, which ranked the state based on 32 metrics in six areas, found New Jersey:
- Improved the most, moving up five ranks to No. 18;
- Set new annual energy savings targets;
- Took steps to rejoin the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
“The fact that New Jersey has emerged as the most-improved state speaks volumes on the state’s commitment to becoming a 100 percent clean energy state by 2050. We’ve made enormous progress in very short order, but there remains more hard work ahead. I look forward to New Jersey’s continued leadership on making our environment healthier, cleaner and more sustainable for future generations,” Gov. Phil Murphy said.
Other East Coast states also fared well in the rankings, including Massachusetts, which continued to rank No. 1 overall. California came in at No. 2, while Rhode Island, Vermont, Connecticut, New York, Minnesota, Washington and Maryland all followed, consecutively.
“States are stepping up on energy efficiency, including major new commitments in New Jersey, New York and Virginia, helping to address the very limited activity from Washington, D.C.,” ACEEE Executive Director Steve Nadel said. “These efforts contributed to the 2.25 million-plus efficiency jobs last year in the United States.”
To read the full report, click here.
