California continues lead in U.S. Clean Tech Leadership Index

For the fifth time in a row, California was ranked No.1 in the 2014 U.S. Clean Tech Leadership Index that tracks the clean-tech activities of all 50 states and the 50 largest metro areas in the U.S.

Other top 10 states in the Clean Tech Leadership Index include Massachusetts, Oregon, Colorado, New York, New Mexico, Washington, Illinois, Vermont and Connecticut, in the order of their ranking.

Clean Edge Inc Clean Tech LeadershipThe clean-tech research index from Clean Edge found that solar installations climbed more than 40 percent year over year in the U.S, while registrations of all-electric vehicles doubled between the 2013 and 2014 indexes, to approximately 200,000 nationwide.

According to the research firm, eleven states now generate more than 10 percent of their electricity from non-hydro renewable energy sources, with two – Iowa and South Dakota – exceeding 25 percent.

“Climate disruption and the growing availability of market-competitive clean-energy technologies are driving many states and cities to tackle climate issues head-on,” says Clean Edge founder and managing director Ron Pernick.

The latest figures also indicate how some top regions are taking climate action seriously, with double-digit clean-energy adoption rates, new policies like California’s energy-storage mandate, and the deployment of clean-energy investment vehicles such as New York’s green bank, Pernick added.

This year, Vermont and Connecticut moved into the Top 10 this year, while Hawaii and Minnesota dropped out from the list.

In the Metro Index, San Francisco and San Jose retained the No.1 and No.2 position respectively while San Diego jumped four places to No.3, giving California the top three ranked clean tech metros. Other top 10 metros include Portland, OR; Sacramento; Boston; Los Angeles; Washington, DC; Austin; and Denver.

[email protected]