Colorado has ranked seventh in the nation for energy efficiency, marking the first time the state has appeared in the top 10, according to the 2025 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. The ranking evaluates states on policies and programs aimed at reducing energy costs and cutting climate pollution through energy efficiency measures.
Colorado saw a significant jump in the rankings, moving up six spots since the last scorecard in 2022. Democratic Gov. Jared Polis praised the improvement, emphasizing the state’s commitment to clean energy initiatives, transportation electrification, and sustainable building practices.
The scorecard highlighted Colorado’s recent policy adoptions as key factors in the ranking improvement. These include policies promoting clean vehicles, implementing a building performance standard to reduce energy consumption in large buildings, and enacting new appliance efficiency standards. Colorado’s 2023 Electric Vehicle Plan outlines an aggressive push for zero-emission transportation, with a goal of 940,000 electric vehicles (EVs) on state roads by 2030 and nearly 100% market share for light-duty EVs by 2050.
Despite these ambitious goals, the state currently has only 101,000 registered EVs. To meet the 2030 target, Colorado would need to add approximately 168,000 new EVs per year. Will Toor, executive director of the Colorado Energy Office, reaffirmed the state’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, citing economic benefits, improved air quality, and job creation as key incentives.
