Research firm Clean Edge has released its annual Clean Energy State Index, which ranks U.S. states based on more than 70 indicators across the clean energy spectrum, including technology, policy and capital.
According to Clean Edge, the top 10 U.S. states for clean energy this year are as follows:
1. California
2. Oregon
3. Massachusetts
4. Washington
5. Colorado
6. New York
7. Illinois
8. New Mexico
9. Vermont
10. Minnesota
Key market indicators tracked by Clean Edge included total electricity produced by clean energy sources, hybrid and electric vehicles on the road, clean energy venture and patent activity, and policy regulations and incentives.
Among the key findings of the analysis was that the 29 states (plus the District of Columbia) with renewable portfolio standards (RPS) account for nearly two-thirds of the nation's total generating capacity.
Six states – twice as many as last year – now generate more than 10% of their utility-scale electricity from wind, solar and/or geothermal.
California – which has the most aggressive RPS in the U.S., at 33% by 2020 – had the overwhelming lead in clean energy venture capital dollars in 2011, exceeding the total of the other 49 states combined, Clean Edge also found.
In addition, clean energy patents granted to U.S. entities in 2011 exceeded the 1,000 mark for the first time, with more than half of them distributed across just three states.
The full Clean Edge report can be downloaded here.
