Clean energy policies in one state can spur neighboring states to generate more renewable electricity, a recent study found.
The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, analyzed the influence of renewable portfolio standards, which mandate that a certain percentage of electricity comes from clean energy sources like wind and solar. It found that a state’s RPS “can generate ripple effects in neighboring states that have been slower to adopt sustainable policies.”
The renewable portfolio standard is one of the most common clean energy policies adopted by states. As of 2023, 29 states and the District of Columbia had adopted an RPS; 17 of those set a target for 100 percent clean energy.
Researchers found that the more ambitious the RPS, the larger the impacts on renewable energy generation in surrounding states.
