NC low on energy efficiency

From the Triangle Business Journal:

North Carolina ranks low on a list of energy-efficient states put out by an advocacy organization. The state is 29th on the list, released this week by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. Washington, D.C.-based ACEEE says it advances the cause of energy efficiency “as a means of promoting economic prosperity, energy security and environmental protection.”

States were ranked on eight metrics, including their public policies on energy conservation, their building codes, and transportation policies such as emissions standards, transit funding and tax incentives for hybrid vehicles.

North Carolina didn’t rank highly in any of the metrics, though the state did get some credit for strict building codes and for a law enacted in 2007 that requires utilities to get a percentage of their power from renewable sources beginning in 2012. The 2007 law isn’t aggressive enough on actually saving energy versus merely getting energy from alternative sources, the ACEEE report says.

Tops in the nation were 1) California 2)Oregon 3) Connecticut 4) Vermont and 5) New York.

To put things in perspective, California recently announced its 25,000th net metered customer (for a quick refresher on net metering, check out these materials). North Carolina has one (!!!) net metered customer.