Get the Dirt Here: Squeaky Clean vs. Downright Dirty States
Who doesn’t love a good rankings list? Our friends over at Modernize just put together a ranking of the cleanest and dirtiest energy states in the country, based on a number of categories. It even comes with a nifty interactive map—check it out!
Washington is the clear winner, and Delaware is the clear loser of this list, coming in at first and last, respectively. Here is the complete top 10 list in order, for measuring amount of renewable energy production:
- Washington
- California
- Oregon
- New York
- Alabama
- Georgia
- Tennessee
- North Carolina
- Iowa
- Florida
Naturally, we were curious about where the Star Energy Partners service territories showed up on this list, and we were not disappointed! While none of them were in the top 10 in production, they still performed pretty well:
- Illinois–16th
- Pennsylvania–17th
- Ohio–26th
- New Jersey–37th
Fortunately, there is good news for these states that are lower on the list. Ohio, for instance, ranks first in the number of facilities manufacturing wind components and second for solar equipment, as of 2013. What’s more, Ohio ranked in the top 10 when measuring the most improved renewable energy states since 1990 in terms of reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
New Jersey is also an up and coming renewable energy market. The state recently inked a plan to bring offshore wind farms to the Jersey Shore. This will certainly give their score a nice shot in the arm for next time!
Renewable energy is certainly on the rise. Most forms of renewable energy are as cheap as they have ever been. Add to that the Pope’s public advocacy for environmental stewardship and the EPA’s toughened regulations through the Clean Power Plan, and the future of energy is looking bright.
