According to RMI study, the U.S. could reduce electricity costs nationwide by 30%

In a study completed by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), an assessment of the electric productivity of the 50 states reveals that improving performance gaps through energy efficiency could cut consumption by 30% and eliminate the need for more than 60% of coal-fired generation. The “Assessing the Electric Productivity Gap and U.S. Efficiency Opportunity” study measured the electric productivity by calculating how much gross domestic product is generated for each kilowatt-hour consumed.

The five states with the highest electric productivity rates were New York, Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, and California. The bottom five was Idaho, South Carolina, Alabama, Kentucky, and Mississippi. The study reports that if the states in the lower rankings of productivity were brought up to the level of the top ten performers, 60% of the country’s coal-fired generation would be eliminated.

"Closing the electric productivity gap through energy efficiency is the largest near-term opportunity to immediately reduce electricity use and greenhouse gases, and move the United States forward as a leader in the new clean energy economy," Natalie Mims, a consultant on RMI’s Energy and Resources Team, said in a statement.

RMI developed an interactive map with its study.

Other findings of the study include:

• If the rest of the country achieved the normalized electric productivity of the top performing states, with 100% adoption, the country would save a total of 1.2 million GW/hr annually.
• In 2020, if the United States can average the electric productivity of the top performing states today, the country can anticipate a 34% reduction in projected electricity demand and maintain 2.5 percent annual economic growth.

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