Not all states are created equal when it comes to clean energy progress. The Environmental Protection Agency recently released data detailing which U.S. states are on track to reach 100% renewable energy by 2035. The ambitious benchmark is part of President Joe Biden's early presidential goal of shifting the country to fully renewable energy by 2035.
According to the data, which tracks state energy usage through the end of 2022, 13 states received most of their energy — 50% or more — from carbon-free sources in that year. Those states are Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, and Washington. Several states, including California and New York, came in just a few percentage points under the 50% clean energy mark.
Washington state utilized the most clean energy as of 2022, thanks to hydropower from the Columbia River. The state was powered on 83% clean energy in 2022, a whopping 68% of that coming from hydropower.
South Dakota, which has heavily invested in wind power in recent years, had the second cleanest grid in 2022. Nearly 58% of the state's electricity came from wind turbines in 2022. Overall, the state was powered by 81% clean energy in 2022.
Vermont came in third, sourcing over 50% of its energy from hydropower and 19% from wind in 2022. The state was powered by 80% clean energy in 2022.
Delaware had the dirtiest grid of all 50 states, mostly utilizing dirty energy for statewide power. The state only used 1.3% clean energy in 2022. Delaware has recently committed to reducing planet-polluting pollution by 50% by 2030.
West Virginia was the second most polluting state, with 6.5% clean energy in 2022. Neighboring state Kentucky wasn't far behind, using only 6.6% clean energy in 2022. The state was the third most polluting territory. Both West Virginia and Kentucky still heavily rely on coal for energy.
Swapping to clean energy is essential for the future health of the planet. Polluting dirty energy sources like gas and coal, which the country has historically relied on for energy, have detrimental environmental and public health impacts. Clean energy options — including solar, wind, and hydropower — aren't only better for the planet; they are also less expensive and more efficient than their dirty energy counterparts.
Explore the EPA's data — and see how your state fares — with this user-friendly map by Canary Media.
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