A national nonprofit that ranks states’ energy efficiency efforts reported that Iowa fell farther than any other state in the latest tally, mainly because of a bill passed by lawmakers that capped many of the programs. 

Eighteen other states lost ground.

“Iowa and Connecticut saw attacks against efficiency within their states through legislation that results in reduced energy and utility bill savings,” said the report by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

Iowa fell 3.5 points on its score to 17.5, ranking 24th among the states, a drop of five spots.

“This drop was largely due to the signing earlier this year of Senate File 2311, which imposes a restrictive spending cap on efficiency programs, removes efficiency program requirements that had been placed on municipal utilities and co-ops and allows customers to opt out of paying for efficiency programs that fail to satisfy the ratepayer impact test, a cost effectiveness measure rejected by most states and inequitable,” the report said. 

New Jersey improved the most, up five points to No. 18. Massachusetts ranked No. 1 overall. Missouri and South Dakota were among those with the most improvement.