Until a decade and a half ago, the growth in energy consumption mostly tracked population growth: as the U.S. added more people, it also consumed more energy.
But since 2005, energy consumption for all sources has begun to decline, while population and GDP have continued to grow.
Many of the leading states for energy efficiency have stronger policies and standards for utilities, buildings, or products like vehicles and appliances. A study of state energy consumption and economic output by Commodity.com ranked the states by their per capita energy use compared to the per capita economic output of each state.
Most energy-efficient states
The states where the typical resident uses the lowest amount of energy, measured in BTUs per dollar of gross domestic product, are:
1. New York, 2,169
2. Massachusetts, 2,474.3
3. Connecticut, 2,554.6
4. California, 2,555.9
5. Rhode Island, 3,103.4
Source: Commodity.com study on “The most energy-efficient economies in the U.S.” Among the 50 states, Georgia ranked 22nd (4,645.8 BTUs per GDP dollar), Tennessee ranked 30th (5,758 BTUs per GDP dollar) and Alabama ranked 41st (8,317.6 BTUs per GDP dollar).