California Keeps Crushing America’s Clean Energy and Tech Rankings

While no state challenges California as epicenter of the U.S. clean tech market, a closer look at Clean Edge’s 2014 index shows clean energy technologies, climate policy, and green finance are increasing in almost every corner of the country, “becoming a popular energy choice for mainstream America.”

If you’ve got doubts about clean tech’s growth across the U.S., consider a few Clean Edge statistics:  11 states now generate more than 10% of their power from non-hydro renewables (Iowa and South Dakota exceed 24%), 8 states now have more than 50% smart meter penetration (California surpasses 70%), electric vehicle sales tripled in 2013 to nearly 50,000, and 14 states now have over 500 LEED-certified green buildings.

Even more impressive, this growth comes from state and local government policy leadership, with little federal help – just consider the untimely Congressional death of the moderate Shaheen-Portman energy efficiency bill, not to mention turmoil over the wind Production Tax Credit.

Clean Edge credits clean energy mandates, green banks like those in New York and Connecticut, the nation’s first energy storage mandate in California, and other innovative financing mechanisms driving the clean energy surge.

California Keeps Crushing America’s Clean Energy and Tech Rankings