Look out, world, California is coming to save you. A recent report shows that solar energy generation in the Golden State has exploded since 2009, along with zero emission vehicle use and other renewable resource reliance. We might just have a chance at fighting climate change, after all.
Findings from nonprofit group Next 10’s most recent California Green Innovation Index were released late last month, revealing how green the state has become in the last few years. Along with the startling 1,378 percent rise in solar energy, renewable energy of all sorts accounted for 25 percent of all retail electricity sales. This high energy efficiency helped lead to a 20 percent lower electric bill for residents, on average, in 2014 alone.
Related: MIT’s groundbreaking new transparent film stores solar energy in glass or clothing
Zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) have seen a 244 percent jump in registrations over the last two years, hinting toward a trend that could put a serious dent in our fossil fuel reliance within the next decade. F. Noel Perry, founder of Next 10, said, “California is not only the fourth-most energy productive economy in the world, the state also leads in key clean tech indicators, like clean tech patents and investment. Much of the rest of the nation is following our lead.”
Via Clean Technica
Images via Flickr, Next 10
