R.I. 17th on Clean Tech Leadership Index

RHODE ISLAND ranked 17th on the 2015 U.S. Clean Tech Leadership Index from Clean Edge, which tracks clean-tech activities of all 50 states. / COURTESY CLEAN EDGE
RHODE ISLAND ranked 17th on the 2015 U.S. Clean Tech Leadership Index from Clean Edge, which tracks clean-tech activities of all 50 states. / COURTESY CLEAN EDGE

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island ranked 17th, dropping four spots from last year on the 2015 U.S. Clean Tech Leadership Index from Clean Edge, which tracks clean-tech activities of all 50 states and 50 largest metropolitan areas.
The index covers everything from renewables and green building to energy storage and clean-tech investment and patent activity. States were ranked on a 100-point scale.
New England states fared well on the list, with most landing in the top 20. Massachusetts ranked the highest at second, behind only California, which has held first place for six consecutive years.
Vermont was sixth, followed by Connecticut at seventh – both states jumped three places from last year. New Hampshire was 12th and Maine just missed the top 20, coming in at 22nd.
In the technology category, Rhode Island ranked 30th, while Maine jumped to fifth and Vermont was 10th. In the policy category, Rhode Island placed 13th, while Massachusetts held the top spot.
Among the metropolitan areas, Providence did not do as well – the Providence area ranked 36th, falling three spots from last year. San Francisco, Calif. was first. In the green buildings category, Providence ranked 42nd, and in clean electricity and carbon management, it ranked 35th.
“As cities, states and nations announce ambitious renewable energy goals, such as California’s 50 percent target by 2030, and Hawaii’s 100 percent target by 2045, tracking data and comparative performance is critical,” Clean Edge Managing Director Ron Pernick said in a statement. “We aim to provide transparency and insights as the market moves towards the goal of a low-carbon, and even zero-carbon, economy.”
The report said that the United States is experiencing a significant shift in its energy landscape, and that last year, utility-scale wind and solar power combined for 47 percent of new U.S. generation capacity.
Last year, California became the first state in the nation to garner 5 percent of its electricity from utility-scale solar.

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