According to a scorecard released on Tuesday by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, New York and Connecticut tied for the fifth most energy efficient states in the country.
New York rose five spots and Connecticut rose one spot to tie for the 5th most energy efficient states. Both states rose in the ranking since last year.
Weston Berg, who wrote the scorecard, says New York rose in the ranks thanks to new transportation policies and updates to electricity and gas efficiency programs.
“Both reported electricity savings of just above one percent. They’ve done a lot in recent years, they have some very strong policies to encourage efficient transportation. It’s one of the few states to have a vehicle miles reduction target. They really should be commended for all the hard work they’ve done.”
Berg also says Connecticut’s high goals for efficiency help consumers save on different energy costs.
“The cost of fuel but then also the cost of building new power plants, building new transmission lines, and there are also environmental costs and health costs. So, Connecticut should really be commended for stepping up its energy efficiency savings and helping to save these types of costs for consumers. ”
Connecticut and New York rank highly for offering financial incentives to consumers and state and local governments. The states also invest in research and development for energy efficiency.