How do you know if your state is energy efficient? And how do you compare your state’s energy efficiency record to another’s? Those are questions that ACEEE set out to answer in its 2010 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard report coming out next week.

As ACEEE researchers found, the answer lies in carefully examining each state’s progress on policies aimed at stopping energy waste and increasing energy savings across a wide range of sectors—from buildings to utilities to transportation.

Electricity
An energy-efficient state works to ensure that power companies help their customers lower energy use and costs by investing in and providing energy-saving programs and services, and setting aggressive energy savings goals that help lower the state’s dependency on costly power generation.

Transportation
An energy-efficient state works with zoning and planning boards and transportation officials to ensure that communities are designed to make it easier for people to travel between home, work, and errands without cars or by driving fewer miles, and that residents have better access to public transportation.

Buildings
An energy-efficient state works with the building community to ensure that homes, offices, and other structures are built smart from the start according to the latest energy-saving building codes.

Combined Heat and Power
An energy-efficient state works with utilities and industries to ensure that excess heat from power generation and manufacturing processes is not wasted and instead is used to meet onsite thermal demands in industrial, institutional, and commercial facilities, helping to reduce costs for those facilities as well as all for utility ratepayers.

State Incentives
An energy-efficient state provides financial incentives and other assistance to help residents pay for and make energy-saving improvements to homes, offices, and other buildings, and is working to develop a skilled local energy efficiency workforce.

How did your state rank? Find out on Oct. 13 when the Scorecard is released.

For more detailed information on state energy efficiency policy and last year’s ranks, visit the ACEEE Scorecard Web page.