United States Finishes Eighth in Energy Efficiency

The United States climbed up five spots since the first installment of the ACEEE efficiency report in 2014, going from #13 in 2014 to #8 2016. The higher rank is attributed to improvements in energy intensity (energy use per dollar of GDP) and changes in methodology that puts more weight on policy initiatives.

The U.S. also scored well in the buildings section, claiming second place. Of the 23 nations evaluated in this report the U.S. has the most mandatory appliance and equipment standards, covering more than 60 product categories. Most U.S. states have developed extensive building energy codes for new residential and commercial buildings and also provide tools, training and resources to support the adoption and maintenance of building codes.

The International Energy Efficiency Scorecard, published by ACEEE, evaluated each country using 35 policy and performance metrics spread across four categories: buildings, transportation, industry, and overall national energy efficiency efforts. It ranks performance on a scale of 100 possible points. For more information on the reports and data for specific countries, please click here.