Currently, about 83% of China’s electricity is produced by burning coal, and coal is expected to become an even more important source of electricity in the near future. In 2008, China burned more than double the amount of coal used in the United States, the world’s second largest consumer. China’s coal consumption is expected to grow as it moves to meet surging demand for electricity from industry and consumers.

Several Southeast states have been leaders in adopting updated building energy codes, both for residential and commercial buildings. Other states are using outdated codes. Some have no codes at all. Even with building energy codes, a lack of enforcement and training can still prevent states from achieving actual savings. States can leverage federal funds to support programs that create advanced energy codes and ensure that buildings are meeting performance requirements.

The U.S. Southeast--defined here as Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia--constitutes approximately one-fifth of the U.S. population and economy, and consequently, ranks among the largest energy consumers in the world (if the Southeast were a country, it would be the fifth largest energy consumer in the world). On a per capita basis, energy consumption is approximately equal to the national average, which is twice that of many European countries and nearly six times greater than that of developing countries such as China.

As of 2006, the U.S. Southeast (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia) relied on fossil fuel sources for approximately 80 percent of its total energy consumption, a total that is similar to, but slightly below, the national average of 85 percent (the regional fuel mix is comprised of larger contributions from coal and nuclear sources and a smaller percentage of natural gas than the national average).