With the failure of Congress to pass legislation to combat climate change, states are taking the lead, Wendy Koch reports in USA Today. States nearly doubled their spending on energy efficiency between 2007 and 2009, taking steps ranging from adoption of energy-efficient building codes to creation of regional initiatives to reduce greenhouse gasses.
The report cites an October 2010 scorecard by the non-profit American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy ranking Connecticut eight in the nation for its efforts to promote energy efficiency. Four of the other five New England states–all except New Hampshire–also are in the top ten.