The state of Missouri scored 8.5 out of a total 50 points, receiving a ranking of 44, in the fifth edition scorecard released by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy last week.

The State Energy Efficiency Scorecard rates and evaluates states’ policies and programs regarding energy efficiency in commercial, residential and transportation sectors.

Among the ratings, Missouri received zero points out of nine for transportation policies, two out of seven for state residential and commercial building energy codes and one out of three in utility efforts to address lost revenues and financial incentives that would encourage energy efficiency.

“It is disappointing that Missouri is in the bottom 10 states in our country for energy efficiency,” said Rep. Jason Holsman, D-Kansas City, chairman of the Special Standing Committee on Renewable Energy. “The role of the Renewable Energy Committee in 2013 will be to work with utility companies as well as with our state’s largest consumers to improve that ranking.”

Missouri lawmakers approved the Missouri Energy Efficiency Investment Act, SB376, in 2009, which allowed for electric companies to implement and recover costs associated with Public Service Commission approved energy efficiency programs.

“While that legislation went into effect two years ago, we are still waiting for utility companies to take full advantage of that opportunity,” Holsman said. “Improving energy efficiency in the state represents the quickest and lowest hanging fruit to curb carbon emissions.”

Rep. Zachary Wyatt, R-Green City, member of the Renewable Energy Committee, described SB376 as a policy that was difficult to enforce.

“(The ACEEE) ranking is an obvious show of what the state isn’t doing,” Wyatt said. “I hope the committee can put teeth into the policy and have those standards enforced.”

The Renewable Energy Committee will discuss suggested policies to further Missouri’s energy efficiency prior to the next legislative session an ACEEE study, Wyatt said.

The report, published in August, was 10th in a series of state-level energy efficiency studies, according to the ACEEE website. The study stated that energy efficiency could save Missourian $6.1 billion in energy bills and could create 8,5000 new local jobs by 2050.

“We refer to states like Missouri as the Saudi Arabia of potential energy,” ACEEE Policy Director Suzanne Watson said. “There are huge resources that Missouri will hopefully tap into. It’s the cheapest thing to do, it creates more jobs and it helps the economy.”

Watson partnered with Maggie Molina, ACEEE research manager in the policy program, to produce the study.

“Energy efficiency as a resource is hard to think about because it is not visible, but it is the cheapest resource,” said Molina, who was the lead author of the report. “It is a common sense solution and the state cannot afford to be left behind.”

The suggested energy efficiency policies could meet 17 percent of the state’s electricity needs by 2025 and 13 percent of natural gas needs, according to the study. Investments in efficiency policies and programs would also help to create new, high-quality jobs in construction, manufacturing and agriculture.

A suite of 10 policies was presented in the study, including categories such as building energy codes and enforcement and advanced new buildings initiatives.

“The policies in the report each target a different sector of the economy,” Molina said. “It is a comprehensive set of strategies that work together.”

The report cited MU as a strong example in energy efficiency, particularly in research and development of innovative programs.

“The university has made large strides for energy efficiency,” Watson said. “It is presenting all kinds of potential for innovation.”

Examples listed in the report included MU’s combined heat and power generating plant, a leader in biomass co-fired production, according to the report.

“Energy efficient policy may seem like it only pertains to the state legislature, but its something everyone on campus can choose to do,” Molina said. “Having leadership at the university could send an important signal to the rest of the state.”