Renewable Energy Policies in the USA: A Comparative Study of Selected States
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. State Selection
2.2. Rubric Creation
Criteria and Indicators
- Renewable Energy Diversity: Assesses the availability of natural resources suitable for renewable energy production, factoring in weather patterns, biofuel resources, and water access for hydropower [29].
- Share of Renewable Energy in the Electricity Mix: Evaluates the percentage of electricity generated from renewables in 2020. States scoring above 70% received a score of 4, while those below 30% received a score of 1, indicating the importance of renewable energy transition and its potential for reducing GHG emissions [30].
- Government Involvement: Examines the state’s role in engaging stakeholders and developing energy strategies crucial for the energy transition [33].
- Policy Budget, Subsidies, and Loans: Considers funding for renewable energy policies and financial resources available to the public and businesses, influencing future renewable energy roles [34].
- Breadth of Policy and Integration: Measures the presence of multiple renewable energy policies, emphasizing the need for effective combinations to avoid inefficient energy strategies [35].
- Monitoring and Enforcement: Captures mechanisms for performance reporting and penalties to ensure compliance with energy policies, promoting high adherence rates among utilities [36].
- Variety of Stakeholders and Their Participation: Assesses collaboration among public, business, and government in energy policy development, ensuring stakeholder inclusion [37].
- Consumer Satisfaction: Measures consumer satisfaction with energy options and rates, noting that some are willing to pay a premium for green power [38].
- Energy Equity: Evaluates reliable electricity access, particularly for marginalized communities facing higher energy costs [39].
- Energy Demand: Analyzes per capita energy demand and efficiency based on 2020 data, with higher scores for lower demand. Projections indicate a 25% increase in demand by 2050 due to population growth and climate change [40].
- Electricity Cost: Evaluates consumer satisfaction regarding electricity costs, with scores reflecting cost thresholds ranging from less than 10 cents to above 20 cents per kWh [41].
- Security of Energy Supply/Imports: Reviews the availability of diverse energy resources for reliability, noting that renewable energy can enhance security [42].
- Grid Modernization: Assesses plans to upgrade grid capacity for better renewable integration, recommending strategies aligned with expected production [43].
- Net Metering: Examines consumers’ ability to resell electricity back to the grid and the associated benefits for decentralized production [44].
2.3. Measurement of Weights
2.4. Data Collection
2.5. Determinants of Energy Transition Success
3. Results
3.1. State-Level Energy Policy Initiatives and Outcomes
3.1.1. Alaska
3.1.2. California
3.1.3. Delaware
3.1.4. Florida
3.1.5. Hawaii
3.1.6. Idaho
3.1.7. Kentucky
3.1.8. Louisiana
3.1.9. North Dakota
3.1.10. South Dakota
3.1.11. Texas
3.1.12. Washington
3.2. Overall State Score
3.3. Indicator Weights
3.4. Ranking of States Based on Weighted Composite Indices
Energy Performance Based on Attribute Priorities
- Scenario 1: State ranking using equal weights
- Scenario 2: Ranking based on environmental focus
- Scenario 3: Ranking based on institutional focus
- Scenario 5: Ranking based on techno-economic focus
4. Discussion
4.1. States’ Energy Criteria Performance
4.2. Renewable Energy Transition Success (RETS)
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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State | Solar Capacity (MW) | Wind Capacity (MW) | Hydro- Electric Generation (MWh) | Renewable Share (%) | Average Retail Price of Electricity (Cents/kWh) | Average per Capita Use (MWh/Person/Year) | RPS | EERS | Net Metering |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alaska | 15 | 64 | 1,764,000 | 30.78 | 19.82 | 12.39 | No | No | Yes |
California | 34,950 | 5922 | 21,377,000 | 42.59 | 18 | 15.80 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Delaware | 163 | 2 | 0 | 2.52 | 10.24 | 8.90 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Florida | 8206 | 0 | 232,000 | 4.29 | 10.06 | 8.88 | No | No | Yes |
Hawaii | 1468 | 233 | 99,000 | 15.87 | 27.55 | 16.54 | Yes | Yes | No |
Idaho | 613 | 973 | 9,508,000 | 76.08 | 7.99 | 7.52 | Yes | No | No |
Kentucky | 71 | 0 | 5,005,000 | 8.49 | 8.58 | 6.28 | No | No | No |
Louisiana | 203 | 0 | 1,204,000 | 3.33 | 7.51 | 5.23 | No | No | No |
North Dakota | 2 | 3989 | 2,450,000 | 38.14 | 8.53 | 3.57 | Yes | No | Yes |
South Dakota | 2 | 2305 | 5,831,000 | 80.51 | 10.06 | 6.98 | Yes | Yes | No |
Texas | 13,845 | 33,133 | 1,079,000 | 21.84 | 8.36 | 6.83 | Yes | Yes | No |
Washington | 298 | 3395 | 76,410,000 | 75.02 | 8.33 | 8.89 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
State | Environmental | Institutional | Social | Techno-Economic |
---|---|---|---|---|
Washington | 4.00 | 4.00 | 3.67 | 3.80 |
Kentucky | 1.67 | 1.50 | 1.67 | 3.20 |
Texas | 2.33 | 2.50 | 1.67 | 2.40 |
Florida | 1.67 | 1.50 | 2.00 | 2.80 |
California | 3.33 | 3.75 | 3.33 | 2.60 |
Hawaii | 3.00 | 3.25 | 2.33 | 2.00 |
South Dakota | 3.33 | 2.00 | 2.33 | 2.60 |
Alaska | 3.00 | 3.50 | 2.67 | 2.00 |
Louisiana | 1.67 | 2.00 | 2.67 | 2.80 |
North Dakota | 2.33 | 2.50 | 2.33 | 3.40 |
Idaho | 3.00 | 2.00 | 2.67 | 3.40 |
Delaware | 2.33 | 3.25 | 3.33 | 3.20 |
Average | 2.64 | 2.65 | 2.56 | 2.85 |
Source | Environmental | Institutional | Social | Techno-Economic |
---|---|---|---|---|
Florida | 0.35 | 0.20 | 0.17 | 0.28 |
Delaware | 0.40 | 0.20 | 0.10 | 0.30 |
Alaska | 0.23 | 0.17 | 0.30 | 0.30 |
Kentucky | 0.20 | 0.20 | 0.27 | 0.33 |
EIA | 0.25 | 0.25 | 0.25 | 0.25 |
Averaged-Study Scenario | 0.29 | 0.20 | 0.22 | 0.29 |
Original Study-Poland | 0.30 | 0.23 | 0.10 | 0.37 |
State Performance | Environmental (%) | Institutional (%) | Social (%) | Techno-Economic (%) | Composite (%) |
Washington | 100.0 | 100.0 | 91.7 | 95.0 | 96.7 |
California | 83.3 | 93.8 | 83.3 | 65.0 | 81.4 |
Alaska | 75.0 | 87.5 | 66.7 | 50.0 | 69.8 |
Delaware | 58.3 | 81.3 | 83.3 | 80.0 | 75.7 |
Hawaii | 75.0 | 75.0 | 58.3 | 50.0 | 64.6 |
North Dakota | 58.3 | 62.5 | 58.3 | 85.0 | 66.0 |
Texas | 58.3 | 62.5 | 41.7 | 60.0 | 55.6 |
Idaho | 75.0 | 50.0 | 66.7 | 85.0 | 69.2 |
Louisiana | 41.7 | 50.0 | 66.7 | 70.0 | 57.1 |
South Dakota | 83.3 | 50.0 | 66.7 | 65.0 | 66.3 |
Florida | 41.7 | 37.5 | 50.0 | 70.0 | 49.8 |
Kentucky | 41.7 | 37.5 | 41.7 | 80.0 | 50.2 |
Variable | Coefficient | p Value |
---|---|---|
Policy Driver | 0.2338 * | 0.0119 |
Technology Driver | 0.3687 ** | 0.0036 |
Stakeholder Participation | −0.0536 | 0.8339 |
Policy–Technology Interaction | −0.0318 ** | 0.0082 |
Adjusted R2 | 0.84 |
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Fache, A.; Bhat, M.G.; Troxler, T.G. Renewable Energy Policies in the USA: A Comparative Study of Selected States. Energies 2025, 18, 607. https://doi.org/10.3390/en18030607
Fache A, Bhat MG, Troxler TG. Renewable Energy Policies in the USA: A Comparative Study of Selected States. Energies. 2025; 18(3):607. https://doi.org/10.3390/en18030607
Chicago/Turabian StyleFache, Anna, Mahadev G. Bhat, and Tiffany G. Troxler. 2025. "Renewable Energy Policies in the USA: A Comparative Study of Selected States" Energies 18, no. 3: 607. https://doi.org/10.3390/en18030607
APA StyleFache, A., Bhat, M. G., & Troxler, T. G. (2025). Renewable Energy Policies in the USA: A Comparative Study of Selected States. Energies, 18(3), 607. https://doi.org/10.3390/en18030607