Maine came in 10th on a national scorecard ranking states for their energy efficiency efforts.

It was the second year in a row that Maine ranked 10th in the scorecard from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C., that promotes efficiency as the least expensive, cleanest and quickest energy resource. The report, issued for the past four years, was released today.

The group said that despite a lack of progress in Congress with energy and climate change legislation in 2010, states had made major strides in energy efficiency. Actions included establishing long-term savings targets and adopting energy-saving building codes.

In ranking Maine 10th, the scorecard noted the state’s formation of Efficiency Maine Trust, which creates and coordinates energy-saving programs and sets specific goals.

According to the scorecard, the top state was California, which has held the top spot for four years. It was followed by Massachusetts, Oregon, New York, Vermont, Washington and Rhode Island. Connecticut and Minnesota were tied for 8th place. Maine held steady at 10th.

The states with the most room for improvement, according to the group, are North Dakota, Mississippi and Alabama.