Thinking about going green? What to know before you invest

(InvestigateTV) — From solar panels to electric vehicles, Americans are embracing clean energy at a growing rate.

As the U.S. transitions toward cleaner power, Lisa Frank with Environment America is tracking the trend.

“The great news is our new report, The State of Renewable Energy 2025 found that America actually gets three times as much power from the sun, the wind and geothermal as we did a decade ago,” Frank shared. “And that growth, that progress is happening in all 50 states, including some surprising places.”

The report highlights states like South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas, New Mexico, Wyoming, and Oklahoma as leaders in renewable energy generation. And it’s not just about wind and solar. The growth of electric vehicles and battery storage is also playing a major role.

“We saw significant growth in southeast states across the board,” she said. “Especially when it comes to solar power.”

To help consumers stay informed, Environment America created an interactive dashboard that breaks down renewable energy usage state by state. But the organization admits clean energy often comes with a high upfront cost.

“You don’t have to do anything to get the sun to shine or the wind to blow and it’s going to keep happening forever,” Franks explained. “We just need the technology that can harness that power and pipe it into our homes, our cars and our appliances. The challenge though is that adopting that technology can be pretty expensive upfront. Installing solar on your house could cost you $20,000 or $30,000.”

That’s why for those thinking about clean energy, Frank recommended planning carefully and comparing options.

“I definitely recommend coming up with a plan, thinking about what’s important to you and your family and how those savings can help you get there,” she said.

Environment America has a free Clean Energy Home Toolkit available on their website.

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