Georgia and Alabama–two states that are generally considered behind the curve in solar development–are among ten states that would benefit the most from generating and consuming the renewable resource, according to a new study.
W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University assembled the rankings, which it said is a first of its kind.
The School said Americans have become more and more concerned with the idea of using cleaner energy sources and creating renewable energy jobs through the use of solar energy.
“We see a growing trend by states to increase the importance of renewable electricity generation,” says assistant research professor Matthew Croucher, who authored the report. “However, the biggest take-away from this study is that if the U.S. is serious about maximizing the societal benefits of solar generation, then we need to look at the national level at how different states can serve not only their own needs, but also those of other states with less ability to create electricity using solar technologies.”
The study was just published in The Electricity Journal. It ranks states based on several criteria. To find out where we should ideally create solar energy for the country, Croucher looked specifically at solar insolation, whether a considerable amount of energy can be generated in each state, as well as the cost of doing so there.
The Top 10 states that would benefit from solar deployment through generating and exporting energy to other states are:
1. Arizona
2. Colorado
3. Georgia
4. Texas
5. Hawaii
6. Arkansas
7. Wyoming
8. Alabama (tie)
8. Missouri (tie)