Utah has recently made a bid for greater energy efficiency, Eldridge said, and that might raise its rankings in future studies.

Dianne R. Nielson, recently named to be the state energy adviser, agrees that Utah's energy efficiency is improving.

"Considering where we were ... I didn't think it was so bad," she said, comparing last year's announced rankings with the latest.

Nielson said energy efficiency and conservation are improving in private homes as well as in government buildings.

Improvements in transportation policies should boost the state's ratings, she predicted, and new tax initiatives for energy conservation are on the horizon. With these factors and other efforts by public and private sectors, Nielson said, "I'd expect that you'd see us climbing up in the rankings next year."

---

E-mail: bau@desnews.com