Clean Edge, a San Francisco-based research firm, ranked San Diego third nationally in its seventh annual U.S. Clean Tech Leadership Index.
The index tracks and ranks the clean energy and clean technology activities of the 50 largest metro areas in the U.S. — from electric vehicle and renewables adoption to policy and investment activity.
San Diego moved up one rung from 2015, but San Francisco and San Jose remained in first and second place. Portland was fourth and Washington, D.C., fifth.
“The San Diego metro area continues to show strong leadership in deployment of advanced vehicles and their charging/fueling infrastructure, clean electricity and carbon management, and cleantech investment,” said Clint Wilder, senior editor at Clean Edge. “But San Diego’s crown jewel may be its passage of a new Climate Action Plan in December 2015.”
Jason Anderson, president and CEO of the nonprofit trade group Cleantech San Diego, said he was “extremely proud of San Diego’s ranking as number three in the nation for cleantech leadership.”
“Our rising rank is proof that the region’s cleantech sector is stronger than ever thanks to public and private partners who keep us on the cutting edge of smart cities technologies and create exciting opportunities to deploy energy innovations that benefit the economy and the environment.”