How Green is Your State?

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The greenest U.S. states rely heavily on renewable energy sources and have implemented policies to promote sustainability. States like Vermont, which generates a significant portion of its electricity from renewable sources like hydropower and wind, often rank high. Other states like Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and South Dakota also have a strong focus on renewable energy and have made significant investments in this area. These states prioritize clean energy production, which helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change.

The map below created by Reddit user: Dr_Engineerd using eia.gov data shows non-fossil fuel energy production in the United States.

The greenest states are Vermont (99.6%), Washington (85.5%), Idaho (81,8%),  New Hampshire (77.0%), Oregon (75.1%).

Vermont had the highest portion of renewable energy production (Solar, Wind, Geothermal, Hydroelectric, Biomass) at 99.6%! of its energy produced through renewable means, while Delaware was the worst with only 1.6%.

If nuclear power is also taken into account, the map of the greenest states is as follows.

The amount of electricity produced from non-fossil fuel sources, including nuclear energy

In this case, the ‘greenest’ states are Vermont (99.6%), Idaho (81.8%), Washington (78.5%), South Dakota (75.1%), and Oregon (73.1%).

How is green energy doing with its more northerly neighbor?

A lookup on a north

The U.S. and Canada have regions that rely heavily on renewable energy sources such as hydroelectric power, wind, and solar, and many provinces and states have implemented policies to promote sustainability and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, Canada’s provinces, particularly Quebec, British Columbia, Manitoba, and Newfoundland and Labrador, are known for their significant hydroelectric power generation, which is a major source of renewable energy in these regions.

Regions like British Columbia, Manitoba, Newfoundland, Quebec, and Yukon are known for their hydropower – all get over 85% of their electricity from hydro alone.

Some Canadian provinces, like Alberta and Saskatchewan, have historically relied more on fossil fuels for energy production compared to many U.S. states.

The map below created by Reddit user PaulsEggo shows How green Canadian provinces and territories?

Canada’s vast geography and diverse climate mean that some provinces and territories face unique challenges in adopting renewable energy sources compared to the more temperate regions of the United States. Overall, both the U.S. states and Canadian provinces are making efforts to transition to greener energy sources, but the specific mix of renewable energy and the challenges faced vary between the two countries.