The U.S. has a chance to be a leader in renewable energy deployment given its sheer size and resources. And some states are leading the way. Olivet Nazarene University’s engineering department ranked the top 10 green states in terms of renewable energy. How does your state stack up? Did it make the list? Read on to find out.
World leaders convened in Paris last week to agree on a successor to the Kyoto Protocol. The goal is to keep global temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius, at maximum, with many stakeholders calling for an even stronger goal of 1.5 degrees. One way to achieve that goal is through the mass deployment of renewable energy.
A recent report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) found that achieving a 36 percent share of renewable energy by 2030 would provide half of the greenhouse gas emissions reductions needed to stay within the 2-degrees threshold.
The U.S. has a chance to be a leader in renewable energy deployment given its sheer size and resources. And some states are leading the way. Olivet Nazarene University’s engineering department ranked the top 10 green states in terms of renewable energy.
How does your state stack up? Did it make the list? Read on to find out.
1. Maine
The state makes the top spot because it is able to produce more wind energy than all of New England combined. The state has over 200 turbines that are constructed and under contract, with a total investment in Maine-based projects of over $1 billion. In 2013, Maine’s wind turbines generated 431 megawatts (MW) of capacity, enough to power about 61,000 homes for a year.
Read the rest of the list at ENN affiliate, Triple Pundit.
Wind turbine image via Shutterstock.
