ACEEE advances solutions that lower bills, cut energy waste and climate pollution, and build a more reliable, equitable energy system for all.
Rising energy costs are straining households and businesses. Too many families face impossible choices because energy costs consume too much of their budgets: heat or groceries, air conditioning or medication, the commute or the rent. Demand for electricity is surging, and data centers, manufacturing, and extreme weather are all adding to the load on the energy system. Energy efficiency (using less energy to achieve better results) is the fastest, most cost-effective response and can be deployed at scale now to lower bills, free up grid capacity, and cut the pollution that drives climate change and harms health.
The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) is an independent nonprofit that works across buildings, transportation, and industry. We bring together rigorous research, policy expertise, and technical assistance to deliver real savings for households and businesses. Since 1980, we have partnered with policymakers, utilities, community organizations, and the private sector to scale what works. We are committed to reaching those who struggle most to keep the lights on.
ACEEE’s independent research is the foundation for the standards, policies, and programs that address the energy challenges America faces today. We are a trusted partner to agencies, utilities, businesses, nonprofits, and communities. Beyond research, we provide hands-on technical assistance, helping partners design, launch, and improve the programs that deliver savings.
We start with evidence. Our independent research is the foundation for the standards, policies, and programs that address the energy challenges America faces today. We are a trusted partner to agencies, utilities, businesses, nonprofits, and communities. Beyond research, we provide hands-on technical assistance, helping partners design, launch, and improve the programs that deliver savings.
We put better technology to work. Heat pumps, efficient electric equipment, and cleaner vehicles deliver the same comfort, output, and mobility using far less energy, and we help buildings, factories, and fleets adopt them.
We accelerate action through networks. Our conferences and coalitions connect the innovators, implementers, and decision-makers who turn our research into results for households and businesses.
We measure progress and push it forward. Our State, City, and Utility Scorecards show communities where they stand, celebrate what’s working, and create healthy competition that motivates every region to improve.
We expand benefits to those who need them most. We design and advocate for inclusive programs to reach renters and underserved communities who face the highest energy burdens, and we support workforce development to bring training and good-paying efficiency jobs in every state.
Buildings account for roughly 40% of U.S. energy use. ACEEE advances the policies, codes, and programs that make homes and commercial buildings more efficient, from stronger building codes and appliance standards to weatherization programs that reduce energy costs for the households that need it most.
Transportation is the largest source of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. ACEEE works to reduce those emissions through stronger vehicle standards, equitable EV charging infrastructure, smarter freight systems, and support for transit and communities that reduce vehicle miles traveled.
U.S. industry consumes roughly a quarter of the nation’s energy. ACEEE advances efficiency in industrial processes, supports electrification technologies like industrial heat pumps, and works to reduce the embodied carbon in the materials and chemicals that build our economy.
Utilities are on the front lines of rising electricity demand. ACEEE works with utilities, regulators, and policymakers to design programs and rate structures that treat efficiency and demand flexibility as central to a reliable, affordable, and clean grid.
Low-income households spend three times more of their income on energy than other families. ACEEE works to ensure that efficiency’s benefits reach renters, frontline communities, and households carrying the highest energy burdens, because that’s where the need and the impact are greatest.
How people use energy matters as much as the technology they use. ACEEE researches the behavioral science behind energy decisions and works to connect efficiency with health outcomes, from reducing indoor air pollution to improving the homes of people with chronic health conditions.
ACEEE’s independent research and advocacy depend on the support of foundations, businesses, and individuals committed to cutting energy bills, waste, and climate pollution.