How does Nevada rank for energy efficiency?

Nevada placed 15th in a nationwide ranking of energy efficiency, tying with Hawaii and Pennsylvania. The 2008 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard, released by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), ranked California, Oregon and Connecticut as the top three energy-efficient states. At the bottom, in descending order, were North Dakota, Alabama and Wyoming.

Nevada earned 17 out of 50 potential points, with higher scores for its building code policies and financial and information incentives (wind and solar rebates, anyone?). It earned zero points for transportation, research, development and deployment policies. The state had minimal points in the other categories, which included the use of combined heat and power technology, appliance standards, and policies to lead by example with fleets and facilities.

ACEEE reports that states, rather than the federal government, are the leading force for energy efficiency policies. In 2008, the feds appropriated about $800 million for energy efficiency programs, according to the Consortium for Energy Efficiency. Compare that to 2006, when state energy efficiency programs spent roughly $1.9 billion on electric and natural gas programs, and state budgets for 2007 were around $3 billion.