The Surprising List of States Leading the U.S. in Clean Energy

New report ranks states on their recent clean energy momentum, and leaders emerge among both blue and red states, although California is No. 1 overall

Which states are driving the nation's clean energy boom?  A new analysis, which ranks states in a dozen different ways, offers some intriguing results.

Depending on what's measured, many different states can claim laurels, according to the report published Thursday by the science advocacy group Union of Concerned Scientists.  And there are high performers among states led by Republicans and Democrats alike.

Kansas led the nation in largest increase in renewable energy generation between 2011-15. Hawaii ranked No. 1 in residential solar power.  In California, electric vehicles made up the highest percentage of new car sales last year.  And in Iowa, in-state companies could most easily procure renewable energy from utilities and third-party providers in 2016 than anywhere else.

There's a misconception that clean energy "is something only a few states are doing," Scott Clausen, a policy expert at the American Council on Renewable Energy who was not involved in this report told InsideClimate News.  "It's really not.  It's becoming much more widespread.

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