Mass. ranked as most energy efficient state for third year

For the third consecutive year, Massachusetts was named the nation’s most energy-efficient state Wednesday by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, furthering the Commonwealth’s reputation as progressive and forward-reaching when it comes to sustainability.

Mark Sylvia, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, said Massachusetts has been ranked first due to the Green Communities Act signed by Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick in 2008, which requires utilities to increase investment in energy efficient measures and mandates the implementation of energy efficient plans for gas and electric utilities.

“It provided a lot of policies and programs that created the very robust energy-efficiency programs which we have here in Massachusetts,” he said. “Prior to the Green Communities Act, utilities were providing energy-efficiency programs, but not at the level of coordination that exists now. With the creation of the Green Communities, [it made utilities] work with their customers to reduce their energy use.”

Robert Kaufmann, professor of environmental science at Boston University, said the Green Communities Act significantly enhanced Massachusetts’ energy conservation efforts.

“The Green Communities Act mandated that money be taken, through surcharges on the price of electricity, to then be used to increase energy efficiency, and enhance the availability of renewables,” he said “Energy efficiency saves consumers money, it increases the economic effectiveness of industry and it slows environmental degradation associated with the use of energy.”

The 2013 edition of the ACEEE’s State Energy Efficiency Scorecard based its rankings on each state’s array of government initiatives and programs aimed at promoting energy-efficiency, said Annie Downs, state policy research analyst at the ACEEE and lead author of the study. Boston was also ranked the most energy-efficient city on Sept. 18 by the ACEEE.

“The scorecard is really a snapshot of how the states are doing over the past year in efficiency,” she said. “We score states on utility programs, on transportation policies, building energy codes, combined heat and power incentives and state government initiatives, which are things like lead-by-example programs and also appliance efficiency standards.”

Downs said she wants to see more states look at the transportation sector, building codes and other areas where increasing energy savings could benefit the state’s economy.

“Massachusetts has set a great example for other states, and the more states that adopt those sorts of targets … [the more] they can really affect a large portion of the energy that’s used in the state,” she said. “We also like to see states focus all across their economies and recognize that energy efficiency can really save customers’ money.”

Some residents said they were satisfied with the Commonwealth’s successful performance in energy efficiency.

Joseph Pasen, 55, of Boston, said being ranked first in energy efficiency reflects Massachusetts’s long-standing commitment to the environment.

“It’s wonderful, [but] I’m not really surprised,” he said. “Energy efficiency is absolutely important for many reasons, [such as] global climate change, as well as problems in the Middle East and problems related to oil. It seems we’re getting in the right direction in that regard.  We seem to be getting a little more self-sufficient.”

Matt Boucher, 27, of Back Bay, said he was unaware of Massachusetts’s distinction, but was pleased by its success.

“Boston and Massachusetts are pretty educated places, with people who would want to really value energy efficiency, but I wouldn’t have expected that we’d be number one,” he said.

Kevin Divney, 49, of Boston, said energy efficiency is a priority, but he is unconvinced by the Commonwealth’s performance, and he said the study is primarily the result of political maneuvering rather than sustainable policy.

“We can sit here and think Massachusetts is clean, but what if Connecticut goes over the cliff, and New York City’s only 200 miles away,” he said. “These borders, these fake lines that were drawn in the 1700s, [they] don’t mean anything. It’s the planet and nobody is looking at it holistically. It’s a global problem, and unless there’s global cooperation, we are just lying to ourselves.”