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Bay State ranked most energy efficient state in nation

Massachusetts is leading the nation in renewable resources as the greenest state, according a report released on Oct. 20. by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

Since 2006, the Bay State has ranked among the top 10 most energy efficient states, but 2011 marks the first time that Massachusetts has climbed its way to the top, ousting California after spending four consecutive years in the number one spot, according to a recent ACEEE press release.

Massachusetts’ “investments in innovation and infrastructure” paved the way for the state’s top ranking, said Gov. Deval Patrick in the release. “Through our Green Communities Act, we set aggressive goals and laid the foundation for greater investment in energy efficiency — and now we are proud to be a model for the nation and world,” he added.

The Green Communities Act, signed by Patrick in 2008, was one of the nation’s most innovative pushes to move away from using fossil fuels in favor of more renewable resources, according to the ACEEE press release.

The bill requires utility companies to choose clean sources of energy whenever those sources are more affordable than regular power and to enter into 10- or 15-year contracts with renewable energy developers, according to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.

The bill also determined that all new buildings constructed in the state meet certain environmental codes, and allocated about $10 million each fiscal year to help fund development of green communities across the state, according to the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources.

As of August, the state has designated 74 areas in Massachusetts as green communities. It has funded everything from the purchase of hybrid-municipal vehicles to installations of wind turbines and solar panels, according to a summary of grant distribution published by the Mass. Department of Energy Resources.

Boston received $1 million in 2010 to fund, among other things, “auto-igniters for natural gas streetlights” and upgrades to the city library system’s energy management.

Boston has been a leader in the creation of innovative environmental policy, said Brad Swing, the director of energy policy in Boston, in an interview with the Daily Free Press. He said that the city considers environmental change one of its top priorities, and that entire government offices have been created to address environmental issues.

By “focusing on municipal operations” and on increasing the use of efficient energies through the Renew Boston program, Swing said, Boston has surpassed its deal with Massachusetts to work toward being a green community.

In addition to focusing on the energy efficiency of municipal buildings and operations, such as replacing old streetlight bulbs with LEDs, the city was also the first in the nation to implement strict zoning laws requiring all new buildings to be LED-certified, effectively meeting or exceeding high environmental standards, Swing said.

Investing in energy efficiency, including retrofitting old buildings with clean technology and helping companies and residents to use efficient energy, he said, saves the city huge amounts of money that can be invested into more green projects.

“Energy efficiency is the first fuel,” he said. “We see the inefficiency built into existing buildings as an opportunity.”

Efforts such as Boston’s are essential to environmental change, and states drive environmental policy forward even when Congress moves “at a glacial pace on major energy and climate legislation,” according to the ACEEE’s 2010 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard.

Cost-effective investment in energy efficiency now will be critical for the success of local, state and national economies in the future, according to the State Energy Efficiency Scorecard.

The ACEEE annually ranks all 50 states based on state policy toward utilities, transportation, building energy codes, heat and power, government initiatives and appliance efficiency standards.

The ACEEE reported that this year, after Massachusetts, California was ranked second and New York was third in energy efficiency.

 

 

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One Comment

  1. So, what’s happening on Cape Cod? Lots of wind energy there, but I heard a lot of the people don’t like so many unsightly windmills!