Report: Arizona top for solar energy use
Jul 24, 2013, 4:34 PM | Updated: Aug 23, 2013, 1:17 pm
PHOENIX – The state’s solar energy policies have given Arizona the number one spot according to a new report.
According to the Phoenix Business Journal, the report titled “Lighting the Way: What we can learn from America’s top 12 solar states,” put the state at the number one spot for having the most solar electricity usage per capita.
Data pulled from the Solar Energy Industries Association show Arizona ranks first in terms of the total amount of solar power per capita and installed solar per capita in 2012. That means the state has 167 watts of solar power for every person in the state overall, and installed 108 watts per person last year.
The report also said that since 2007, the use of solar energy has increased tenfold.
The pathway to a solar future laid out by the Dazzling Dozen is open to every state. By following their lead and implementing a new wave of public policies to expand access to solar energy, the United States can work toward the goal of getting at least 10 percent of our energy from the sun by 2030.
The state of Nevada came second after Arizona, while Maryland was last among the top 12 states generating solar energy.