Hawaii is among the top states in the U.S. for adopting renewable energy, earning fifth place and leaving 45 other states behind. According to a new report from the Union of Concerned Scientists, California claimed the number one rank, followed by Vermont and Massachusetts.

Hawaii claimed its place toward the top of the list thanks to a great deal of effort to pursue cheaper, cleaner energy to keep the environment healthy and bring the cost of living down. As you can imagine, both existing and prospective Maui home owners often keep an eye on progress made in this direction.

The report is titled "Clean Energy Momentum: Ranking State Progress" and was based on 12 different metrics that were applied to rank states, with a 10 point system for each metric. Some of these categories were energy efficiency, electric vehicles, renewable energy policy adoption and deployment of renewable energy. Given all the policy changes Hawaii has implemented over the past year, its rank at No. 5. is no surprise.

What stood out most about the results was the fact that the Aloha State's residential solar performance far outstripped the rest of the country, with one in seven Hawaii homes having solar. This just shows how determined residents are to lower their energy bills and to see savings passed on to customers. Hawaii was also fourth for solar jobs per capita. Being an isolated island state in the middle of the Pacific, renewable energy plays a vital role in Hawaii's economic independence, and to boil it down, residents want affordable energy.

Hawaii made it to the top 10 on eight of the 12 metrics used in the report, which is quite an accomplishment. Another factor that sets Hawaii apart is that it's the first state in the nation to institute a 100 percent clean energy goal, which it aims to achieve by 2045.

If you're interested in learning more about the report, you can visit www.ucsusa.org. The Union of Concerned Scientists is a nonprofit science advocacy organization based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. As far as real estate, Maui's incredible collection of homes with solar power is right at your fingertips. If you need our assistance finding the right property, you'll find our contact information at the bottom of the page. Mahalo!