Minnesota ranks 10 in the 50-state scorecard from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).
Other regional leaders include California (#1) in the West, Massachusetts (#2) in the Northeast, Colorado (#13) in the Southwest, and Virginia (#20) in the Southeast. According to ACEEE, each of these states has enacted sweeping clean energy laws in recent years and expanded energy efficiency efforts to achieve climate goals.
From the ACEEE press release:
This year’s scorecard has an expanded focus on equitable energy efficiency policies that reduce energy burdens for low-income and disadvantaged households and historically underserved communities. The report evaluates states on 12 equity-focused actions, which represent 20% of total points available. ACEEE developed the scorecard’s new equity metrics through a multi-year consultation process with community-based organizations. Thirty-four states earned less than half the points on equity, showing there is significant room for improvement.
“Leading states are shifting their efficiency efforts to focus on decarbonization and reducing energy burdens for the most vulnerable residents, setting an example for other states,” said Sagarika Subramanian, senior research analyst at ACEEE and lead author of the report. “The clean energy transition will only be successful if we ensure it benefits everyone, including low-income and disadvantaged communities, while addressing historic patterns of injustice. Because of the severity of the climate crisis, even leading states must take bolder action for the United States to meet its climate targets of at least 50% GHG emissions reductions by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050.”
Download the full Minnesota Scorecard (PDF)
