Wisconsin bounced back into the top 20 in the nation last year on an annual score card evaluating states' moves to cut energy waste, but the state could retreat if utilities' rate proposals are approved.

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy on Wednesday called Wisconsin one of the four most improved states in the country when the organization released its annual state-by-state score card.

Wisconsin ranks 17th in the country this year, up from 23rd last year.

The increase is linked in part to a transition between administrators of the Focus on Energy program, said Annie Gilleo, a state policy research analyst and lead author of the report. Major changes were made to the efficiency program offerings which corresponded to a drop in energy savings in 2011, the year the Chicago Bridge & Iron Co. replaced Madison-based Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corp. as the contractor overseeing Focus.

The improvement came as evaluators of the Focus on Energy program found that the program accounted for $3.41 in energy savings for every dollar utility ratepayers paid into it last year.

Massachusetts was named the top state in the country for energy-efficiency policies, followed by California, Rhode Island, Vermont and Oregon. The only Midwest state in the top 10 was Minnesota, which ranked 10th.

Utility rate proposals proposed to take effect next year could cause Wisconsin to backtrack when it comes to making homes and businesses more efficient, according to the report's authors.

ACEEE's score card evaluates states based on policies that encourage energy efficiency. The report also measures state building codes, tracks whether states set energy-efficiency goals and how well they meet them, and evaluates transportation.

States that are creating incentives for energy efficiency are positioning themselves to comply with federal global warming rules that aim to address greenhouse gas emissions from burning coal and natural gas, said Maggie Molina, council program director.

"Energy efficiency has multiple benefits, for our economy, for saving energy and money and for reducing emissions," she said.

The ratings showing improvement in Wisconsin come as state utilities have proposed sizable increases in the fixed charge on monthly utility bills — hikes that would take effect Jan. 1 if they are approved by the state Public Service Commission.

Under the proposals, the fixed-charge hikes would be accompanied by a small drop in the energy charge on customers' bills. Utilities are proposing the changes to have the "fixed" part of the bill better reflect the nonenergy costs that utilities pay to deliver power, and also in response to moves by a small number of customers to generate their own power.

We Energies of Milwaukee is proposing a 75% jump in its fixed charge, to $16 a month. Madison Gas & Electric Co. is seeking a bigger jump, to $19, and Green Bay-based Wisconsin Public Service Corp.'s plan calls for more than doubling its fixed charge, to $25.

The proposals have stirred interest beyond Wisconsin, with energy-efficiency advocates saying they are concerned that utilities in other states will move to hike fixed charges if the plans are approved in Wisconsin, a state that has been regarded as one of the most utility-friendly regulatory agencies in the country.

"We feel that it's very important to maintain a strong price signal to consumers to save energy, and higher fixed charges run the risk of reducing that price signal," Molina said.

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Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly linked the improvement in the state's energy-efficiency ranking to the new administrator of the program, rather than to a reduction in energy savings that occurred during the transition between administrators.