Weather and geography is also a big factor in energy consumption. In Wyoming, Alaska and North Dakota, cold winters ensure high heating demand, while big empty stretches mean residents burn a lot of gasoline to get around.

On the other end of the spectrum, states like New York, Rhode Island, California, Hawaii and Florida consume the least energy per capita.

New York’s large population makes it rank as one of the highest consuming states in the nation, but its energy intensity and per capita consumption are remarkably low. “The state’s energy efficiency results in part from the New York City metropolitan region’s widely used mass transportation systems,” the EIA explains. “More than half of New York City workers use public transit, and more than one-fourth of state residents do, which is five times the U.S. average.”

Similarly, California is the most populous state in the union and supports energy intensive industries, but has one the lowest per capita total energy consumption levels in the country. The state’s intensive efforts to promote energy efficiency have paid off but the state also has its mild climate to thank for its low consumption levels. More than two-fifths of state households do not have or do not use air conditioning, making residential energy use per person in California lower than every other state except Hawaii.

Read on to find out where your state lands on the list.

Read More. (Forbes)