Clean Technica reports that “Environment America Research and Policy Center recently released Lighting the Way , a fascinating hard numbers–based take on the US solar energy boom, the top states that fostered it last year, and what the others are up to.  

The research organization finds that the top 10 solar energy states—Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico and North Carolina—have initiated strong, cutting-edge policies that are enabling increasing numbers of homeowners, businesses, communities, and utilities to go solar. Environment America also touts rising stars like New York, Vermont, and Georgia.  

Policymakers and developers in other states can use this type of information to help plan their own efforts. The Environment America report notes that solar photovoltaics produce 96% less global warming pollution per unit of energy than coal-fired power plants over their entire life cycle and cause 91% less global warming than natural gas-fired power plants.