states and cities lead clean energy transition in the … · states and cities lead clean energy...
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2017U.S.CleanTechLeadershipIndex,CleanEdge,Inc. Page1
Contact:
RonPernick,ManagingDirector [email protected] 503-493-8681
STATESANDCITIESLEADCLEANENERGYTRANSITIONINTHEAGEOFTRUMP
SixStatesGenerate20%orMoreoftheirElectricityfromNon-HydroUtility-Scale
Renewables;FiveCitiesCreditedfortheir100%RenewableElectricityCommitments
Portland,Ore.,May16,2017–CleanEdge,Inc.todayreleaseditseighthannualU.S.CleanTech
LeadershipIndex,whichtracksandrankstheclean-energyactivitiesofall50statesandthe50
largestmetroareasintheU.S.AstheTrumpadministrationworksrelentlesslytodismantle
climateandenvironmentalprotectionsandforwardsapro-fossil-fuel,climate-change-denial
narrative,thisyear’sIndexshowsthatstatesandcitiesareplayinganoutsizedroleinthe
expansionofcleanenergy,transportation,andenergyefficiency.Afreedownloadable
summaryreportofthisyear’sIndexisavailableatwww.cleanedge.com.
In2016,windandsolarpowerrepresented61%ofallnewelectricitygeneratingcapacity
installedintheU.S.forthesecondyearinarow.Thisdramatictransitionawayfromfossilfuels
(particularlycoal)fornewpowersourcesishavingasignificantimpactonstate-levelgeneration
mix.Threestates(Iowa,SouthDakota,andKansas)nowgenerate30%ormoreoftheir
electronsfromutility-scalewindandanotherthreestatesexceed20%renewables(Oklahoma
andNorthDakotafromwindandCaliforniafromwind,solar,andgeothermal).Theseleaders
arepoliticallydiverse,withthetop10statesforrenewableelectricitygenerationincludingfive
redstatesandfivebluestates.
“Decliningcostsforsolarandwindarethekeydriverfuelingrenewables’rise,”saysCleanEdge
managingdirectorRonPernick.“Inmanyregionsaroundthenation,utility-scaleonshorewind
2017U.S.CleanTechLeadershipIndex,CleanEdge,Inc. Page2
andsolar,evenwithoutsubsidies,nowbeatcoal,nuclear,andevencombined-cyclenaturalgas
oncostfornewgenerationassets.”
Thecleanenergyjobsmetric(measuredasapercentageofastate’stotalworkforce)isanew
indicatorinthisyear’sIndex.Atotalof2.4millionjobsnationwide(includingthoseinsolar,
wind,andhydrogeneration;ethanolandbiomassfuels;storageandsmartgrid;andenergy
efficiency)reflecttheeconomicvitalityofthesector.Solarandwindpowergenerationjobs
(473,881combinednationwide),forexample,nowoutpacejobsinnaturalgaselectricpower
generation(362,118)andcoalpowergeneration(160,119).Topstatesforcleanenergyjobs
includeVermont,RhodeIsland,Utah,Michigan,Oregon,andMassachusetts.
OverallStateIndexResults
CaliforniaandMassachusettstoptherankingsonceagain.Californiahasfinishedfirstinthe
IndexinalleightyearsofitsexistenceandMassachusettsgarnersitsfifthconsecutivesecond-
placefinish,withVermont,Oregon,andNewYorkfinishingthirdthroughfifthwithrepeat
2017U.S.CleanTechLeadershipIndex,CleanEdge,Inc. Page3
performances.Roundingoutthisyear’stoprankingstatesareConnecticut,Colorado,
Washington,Minnesota,andHawaii.Minnesotaisthisyear’sbigmoverintothetop10.The
Landof10,000Lakesmakesareturnvisitwithasix-spotleapto#9.
OverallMetroIndexResults
SanFranciscoandSanJoseremaintherespectiveleadersinthisyear’sIndex,astheyhavefor
thepastfiveyears.Washington,DC,makesatwo-spotjumpuptothird.SanDiego(#4)and
Portland(#5)eachslideonespot,whileLosAngelesholdssteadyat#6.Bostononceagain
snagstheseventhspot,andisfollowedbythreemetrosthatarevirtuallytiedinoverallscores:
Seattle,SaltLakeCity,andAustin.SaltLakeCity,whichjoinstheleaderboardforthefirsttime,
joinsfourothertop10Indexleaders(Portland,SanDiego,SanFrancisco,andSanJose)in
havinga100%REgoalinplace.
2017U.S.CleanTechLeadershipIndex,CleanEdge,Inc. Page4
AbouttheU.S.CleanTechLeadershipIndex
Sponsorsofthe2017U.S.CleanTechLeadershipIndexincludeleadpartnerWellsFargoand
supportingpartnersCleantechSanDiego,ConnecticutGreenBank,MassachusettsCleanEnergy
Center,ProsperPortland,TexasSustainableEnergyResearchInstitute,andtheWorld
ResourcesInstitute.InadditiontopubliclyavailabledatasetsandCleanEdge-derivedindicators,
CleanEdgeleveragesdatafromprivatedatapartnersincludingCleantechGroup;EQResearch;
HeslinRothenbergFarley&MesitiP.C.;IHSMarkit;andtheNorthCarolinaCleanEnergy
TechnologyCenter.
CompletestateandmetrodatasetsareonlyavailabletoIndexpartners.Forinformationon
subscriptionpackagescontactBryceYonker,CleanEdgeDirectorofBusinessDevelopment,at
AboutCleanEdge
CleanEdge,Inc.,foundedin2000,offersasuiteofindexes,surveys,andadvisoryservicesfor
corporate,government,NGO,utility,andfinancialclientsworkingtotransitiontoaclean-
2017U.S.CleanTechLeadershipIndex,CleanEdge,Inc. Page5
energy,low-carboneconomy.Productsandservicesincludemultipleclean-techstockindexes
inpartnershipwithNASDAQ,theU.S.CleanTechLeadershipIndex(trackingstateandmetro
activity),theGridModernizationIndexinpartnershipwithGridWiseAlliance,andwebinarsand
eventsthatregularlyconvenehundredsofindustryinnovatorsandstakeholders.
www.cleanedge.com
Additionalartworkandtablesfromthereport(suchasthejobstablebelow)areavailableto
themediauponrequest.