A New Interactive Map of US Solar Progress

Environment America is helping our solar progress shine through. The Denver-based not-for-profit has recently published an interactive map that details many ways in which solar energy is advancing throughout the 50 states.

Called The State of Solar, the map is an efficient and attractive tool for researching the quantity of solar energy that has been installed in several dozen cities.

Los Angeles leads the way in "total solar potential value installed," but many non-obvious choices, such as Indianapolis and Chicago, have made impressive strides. The map also shows how solar production has grown within states and contains links to opportunities for pro-solar activism.

There are pleasant surprises. Sunbelt states such as Arizona and New Mexico are generally associated with solar production. But thanks to progressive governmental policies, cloud-darkened spots like Massachusetts and Delaware number among the country's top ten. That's encouraging for anyone's solar spirits, reminding us that advancement depends as much on collective decisions as on the weather — perhaps more.

The map also contains a link to Environment America's 2018 edition of "Renewables on the Rise," a comprehensive report on the country's "decade of progress towards a clean energy future."

"In every corner of America, clean energy is growing faster than even most experts thought it would," writes Rob Sargent, Senior Director of Environment America's Campaign for 100% Renewable Energy.  "In 2008, wind and solar energy were barely a blip on the radar screen. Now, we get six times more power from the wind and the sun — enough to power 31 million homes. In that same period, there was a 17-fold increase in battery storage, improving our ability to save solar and wind energy for a rainy (or calm) day."

"[W]e’ve still got a long way to go," Sarget continues. "But bolstered by recent progress and strong public support, we should be confident that we can take clean energy to the next level."

Find the interactive map at: https://arcg.is/041eSL

--By Marsha Weiss