Conformational energy differences have been determined from Raman spectra of the molecules ethylene glycol and 2-chloroethanol in DMSO and water. It was found that solvent effects on the relative stabilities of the gauche and trans rotamers of the two alcohols differ significantly. In addition, it was observed from spectra in the O-H stretching region that, unlike 2-chloroethanol, there is no significant intramolecular hydrogen bond formation in ethylene glycol in the neat liquid phase. Neither molecule was found to form intramolecular hydrogen bonds in either of the solvents studied.