The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy compiles a Utility Efficiency Scorecard that ranks the energy efficiency efforts and achievements of the largest electric utilities in the continental U.S. (based on retail sales). Four public power utilities – Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Long Island Power Authority, Salt River Project, and CPS Energy – were included in the 2023 report. All ranked in the top 25.
ACEEE would give its highest score in certain measures to utilities that, at minimum:
- Spend 9% of revenue on energy efficiency programs
- Achieve 3% net annual savings of retail sales
- Reduce 2% of annual peak demand
Other items that lead to high scores include:
| MEASURE | AVERAGE | AMONG TOP PERFORMING UTILITIES |
| Portion of utility revenue spent on energy efficiency | 2.2% | 11%+ |
| Funding focused on programs for customers with low incomes | 12% of efficiency funding | |
| Offer financing solutions that help customers pay for upgrades |
Offer Programs
| Offer programs across customer classes (residential, commercial, and industrial) |  |
| Have programs focused on improving efficiency among customers with low incomes or from historically underserved communities | |
| Pilots and programs that explore emerging technology and transportation electrification | |
Measure Performance
| Track and report out net electricity savings and peak demand reduction | |
| Set and track goals to reduce energy burden across customers | |
| Offer customers access to personal or building-wide energy use data | |
| Set incremental energy saving targets | |
Plan Accordingly
| Include energy efficiency in the resource planning process similarly to how supply-side resources are considered | |
| Incorporate community feedback into program offerings | |
