A national report says Missouri is one of the country’s worst states in encouraging energy efficiency. Missouri ranks 43rd in the rankings by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy. The standings are based on rankings on 28 issues in six categories. The lead author of the study says Missouri gets good points for energy efficiency programs run by its major utilities. It also gets points for energy savings targets that are written into law. But policy analyst Ben Foster says those targets are voluntary and are not being implemented.
The organization also says Missouri needs to enact a statewide building code that encourages energy-efficient building construction and renovation.
Foster says the state can implement it without spending much money. He says energy efficiency is an abundant resource in all states, something people can take advantage of that’s right under their feet.