iAccording to Clean Edge, Inc., a Portland consulting firm, Oregon ranks 2nd in the nation and Washington 6th in leadership efforts to promote clean energy.
In ranking the states, Clean Edge considered the states’ development and deployment of clean-energy technologies, the effectiveness of each state’s policy structure, and available capital resources. For example, utility-scale clean energy generation (wind, solar, and geothermal), the number of LEED and Energy Star buildings constructed, smart meters deployed, electric and hybrid cars on the road, and electric charging stations, the existence and strength of clean-energy initiatives, energy efficiency standards, utility performance incentives, venture capital investments, energy efficiency expenditures, clean energy patents, and jobs in the clean energy sector.
Other key findings in the report: Oregon ranks #1 in LEED-certified green building projects, #2 for smart electric meter penetration, #3 in hybrid electric vehicle adoption, and #6 in total installed wind capacity and generation. Washington ranks #2 in clean electricity as a percentage of total generation (72%). Oregon and Washington are in the top three states for total electric-vehicle charging stations and charging stations per capita.
Other notable state rankings: California (1), New York (4), Colorado (5), Vermont (10), Hawaii (16), Texas (18), Arizona (24), Montana (26), Idaho (32), Alaska (43), Mississippi (49), and West Virginia (50).
A summary of Clean Edge’s report may be found at www.cleanedge.com.
