With the state making strides to reach 15 percent efficiency by 2015, Nielson said the public sector is providing a road map for how private industry can make up the 5 percent to achieve Huntsman's 20/2015 goal.

The nonprofit Utah Clean Energy's Kevin Emerson singled out St. George, South Jordan and Logan as places where Energy Star homes and commercial sites are increasing in popularity. Emerson's group last year helped author "Utah Energy Efficiency Strategy," a set of policy options designed to assist Huntsman in reaching his goal.

"The state is most certainly leading in setting an example of how energy efficiency can be implemented," Emerson said Tuesday. In the private sector, he added, new-home builders are coming around, effectively aiding the state in reducing carbon emissions. "That's a really exciting thing to see."

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