In this article, we will look into the 20 US states with the lowest per capita CO2 emissions. If you want to skip our detailed analysis, you can go directly to the 5 US States with the Lowest Per Capita CO2 Emissions.
Efforts to Reduce CO2 Emissions by the US
While carbon emissions increased by 1.1% in 2023 in the US, the year-over-year increase was lower than in 2022, according to data from the International Energy Agency. This can be attributed to the rise in the adoption of renewable energy sources. The energy produced from natural gas and coal is expected to decrease by 1% and 3% in 2025, as reported by the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). Some of the states in the country boast a high renewable energy generation capacity, such as California, Oregon, and Washington, which produce the most renewable energy in the US.
On March 13, Reuters reported that the US Department of Energy is making a significant investment in clean hydrogen production. It announced a grant of $750 million to deploy hydrogen projects across 24 states. These projects by the US Energy Department aim to amplify the country's energy transition by funding research, circularity, and supply chain development. This funding is a major step toward the administration's goal of developing a $7 billion hydrogen hub program. In October 2023, the administration announced seven hubs across 16 states in the country.
In addition to the hydrogen projects, the country is also investing in solar and EV charging infrastructures. On February 27, Reuters reported that the Biden administration announced that it would spend $366 million in funding for clean energy projects in rural areas of the US with the goal of easing high electricity bills and strengthening reliability. This grant aligns with the country's goal of allocating 40% of the climate-related investments to underserved communities. The projects will deploy solar energy, heat pumps, and electric vehicle infrastructures across 20 states. You can also look at the Top Countries with Highest Renewable Energy Generation Per Capita.
Corporations Driving Energy Transition in the US
Some of the leading corporations driving the energy transition in the country include Enphase Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENPH), Eversource Energy (NYSE:ES), and Sunrun Inc. (NASDAQ:RUN).
Enphase Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENPH) is a leading renewable energy provider in the world and is also among the companies with the highest sustainable revenue in the US. On March 7, the company announced that it has allied with a leading home solar and battery installer, Semper Solaris, to deploy the IQ8 microinverters and IQ Battery 5P by Enphase Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENPH). Semper Solaris, which is currently utilizing the company's cloud-based platform, Solargraf, will provide Enphase Energy, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:ENPH) third-generation energy system comprising microinverters, battery, system controller, and combiner. These integrated solutions will provide an enhanced customer experience characterized by high power generation, resilient communication, and an enhanced commissioning process.
Eversource Energy (NYSE:ES) is a leading utilities company in the US, providing renewable energy solutions across the country. It specializes in solar, geothermal, wind energy, energy storage, and energy efficiency. The company also owns 22 solar facilities in Massachusetts, producing 70 MW of renewable energy to power over 11,000 households. The company's joint project with Ørsted A/S (OTC:DNNGY), Sunrise Wind, is an offshore project. Recently, on March 26, the Biden-Harris administration approved the Sunrise Wind, making it the 7th approved project under their administration. These seven projects are able to provide over 8 GW of renewable energy to nearly 2 million households. It supports the country's goal of 30 GW offshore wind energy capacity by 2030. The joint project by Eversource Energy (NYSE:ES) and Ørsted A/S (OTC:DNNGY) will have a total generation capacity of 924 MW of clean energy, sufficient to power over 320,000 households annually.
Sunrun Inc. (NASDAQ:RUN) is one of the leading solar energy companies in the world. The company has installed a total clean energy of 26 terawatt-hours since 2007. This resulted in avoiding emissions of 146 mega metric tonnes of CO2e. The company also recycles and redeploys solar panels. In 2022, the company recycled 85% of its decommissioned solar panels. Since 2007, the company has provided total energy savings of $1 billion to its customers. On January 29, Sunrun Inc. (NASDAQ:RUN) announced the completion of the first season of its innovative residential distributed plant. This project is a joint venture of the company with the leading energy company, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). The companies provided 32 MW with the help of 8,500 solar and storage residential systems through the summer and fall of 2023. The Peak Power Rewards program delivered a consistent average of 27 MW of energy during the peak hours for over 90 consecutive days. The peak output of the program reached 32 MW, enough to supply power to more than 20,000 households.
Now that we have discussed the companies supporting the energy transition in the United States, let's have a look at the 20 US states with the lowest per capita CO2 emissions. You can also look at the most vulnerable countries in the world to climate change.
20 US States with the Lowest Per Capita CO2 Emissions
A network of solar panels on the rooftop of a commercial building, creating electricity for places of business.
Methodology
To create our list of the 20 US states with the lowest per capita CO2 emissions, we utilized the US Energy Information Administration data for per capita carbon emissions of the US states. Our list ranks the states in descending order of their emissions per capita in metric tonnes of CO2. We have also included the change in emissions from 2020 to 2021 to provide insights into year-over-year changes in the carbon emissions of the states on our list.
20 US States with the Lowest Per Capita CO2 Emissions
20. Nevada
Carbon Dioxide Emissions per Capita (2021): 12.5 metric tonnes of CO2/capita
Nevada is ranked among the US states with the lowest per capita CO2 emissions. In 2021, the state generated 12.5 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per person.
19. Georgia
Carbon Dioxide Emissions per Capita (2021): 12.5 metric tonnes of CO2/capita
Georgia is one of the states with the lowest carbon footprint per capita. In 2021, it generated 12.5 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide per person.
18. Hawaii
Carbon Dioxide Emissions per Capita (2021): 12.0 metric tonnes of CO2/capita
Hawaii is ranked 18th on our list. In 2021, the per capita emissions of the state reached 12 metric tonnes of CO2. Although its per capita emissions were relatively low, the state witnessed a staggeringly high year-over-year increase of 16.5% from 2020 to 2021.
17. Arizona
Carbon Dioxide Emissions per Capita (2021): 11.4 metric tonnes of CO2/capita
Ranked 17th on our list, Arizona emitted 11.4 metric tonnes of CO2 per person in 2021. The state's emissions increased by 2.37% from 2020 to 2021.
16. Virginia
Carbon Dioxide Emissions per Capita (2021): 11.3 metric tonnes of CO2/capita
Virginia is ranked among the US states with the lowest per capita CO2 emissions. The state produced 11.3 metric tonnes of per capita carbon dioxide emissions in 2021.
15. North Carolina
Carbon Dioxide Emissions per Capita (2021): 10.9 metric tonnes of CO2/capita
North Carolina is ranked 15th on our list. In 2021, its emissions reached 10.9 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide per person. Despite the low per capita CO2 emissions, the year-over-year increase was 7% from 2020 to 2021.
14. Idaho
Carbon Dioxide Emissions per Capita (2021): 10.8 metric tonnes of CO2/capita
Idaho is one of the least emitters of carbon dioxide emissions per person. In 2021, it generated 10.8 metric tonnes of CO2 per person.
13. Maine
Carbon Dioxide Emissions per Capita (2021): 10.5 metric tonnes of CO2/capita
Maine ranks 13th on our list. The state's emissions reached 10.5 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide per person in 2021, up 5.69% from 2020.
12. Florida
Carbon Dioxide Emissions per Capita (2021): 10.4 metric tonnes of CO2/capita
Florida is ranked among the US states with the lowest per capita CO2 emissions. In 2021, the state produced per capita emissions of 10.4 metric tonnes of CO2. The emissions increased by 7.7% in 2021, compared to 2020 levels.
11. Connecticut
Carbon Dioxide Emissions per Capita (2021): 10.1 metric tonnes of CO2/capita
Connecticut is one of the states with the least per capita emissions. In 2021, the state emitted emissions of 10.1 metric tonnes per person. Even though its per capita emissions were lower than around 40 states in the country, the state experienced a surge of over 7% from 2020 to 2021.
10. Rhode Island
Carbon Dioxide Emissions per Capita (2021): 9.7 metric tonnes of CO2/capita
Rhode Island is ranked 10th on our list. In 2021, the emissions generated by the state reached 9.7 metric tonnes of CO2 per capita. Its emissions witnessed an increase of 8.7% from 2020 to 2021.
9. New Jersey
Carbon Dioxide Emissions per Capita (2021): 9.6 metric tonnes of CO2/capita
New Jersey is one of the states with the lowest emissions per capita. In 2021, it generated 9.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide per person. The state's emissions increased by 0.6 tonnes in 2021.
8. New Hampshire
Carbon Dioxide Emissions per Capita (2021): 9.6 metric tonnes of CO2/capita
New Hampshire is ranked among the US states with the lowest per capita CO2 emissions. It generated 9.6 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide per person in 2021.
7. Washington
Carbon Dioxide Emissions per Capita (2021): 9.5 metric tonnes of CO2/capita
Washington produced 9.5 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per person in 2021, up 7.6% from 2020. It is ranked 7th on our list.
6. Oregon
Carbon Dioxide Emissions per Capita (2021): 9.1 metric tonnes of CO2/capita
Oregon is ranked among the US states with the lowest per capita CO2 emissions. The state generated 9.1 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide per person in 2021. Its emissions increased by 2.45% from 2020 to 2021.
