Skip to content

Assessing the Electric Productivity Gap and the U.S. Efficiency Opportunity

By Mathias Bell

Jump to Section

It is commonly known that energy efficiency implementation has not achieved its technical or economically feasible potential in the United States, and many have attempted to quantify how much electricity the U.S. can save in the future. However, few have compared states to each other to determine why some states have been much more effective at using efficiency as a resource. This paper explores one aspect of the energy efficiency solution: how effectively has the United States used its electricity? RMI conducted this analysis on state-level electric productivity (measured in dollars of gross domestic product divided by kilowatt-hours consumed, or $GDP/kWh) to determine which states are the most productive with their electricity.

About the Authors

Mathias Bell

Help build the clean energy future. Donate today.

Independent research. Real-world solutions. Supported by donors.

RMI can pursue the highest-impact climate and energy solutions because we’re supported by people who believe change is possible. Every gift helps advance the work needed to make clean energy the default choice worldwide.

For other ways to give to RMI, including checks or gifts of stock, please visit Other Ways to Give.