The capital region grew its residential solar capacity by six-fold over six years and eclipsed the rest of California in energy efficiency during the same time period, according to a new report by the nonprofit Next10 and consultancy firm Collaborative Economics.
Per capita energy efficiency for Sacramento-area residential homes improved six percent between 2006 and 2012, from 3.54 megawatt hours per person to 3.34 megawatt hours per person, according to the report's author.
Meanwhile, California improved only three percent over the same time period, from 2.50 megawatt hours per person in 2006 to 2.43 megawatt hours per person in 2012.
Residential solar enjoyed a similar boon. Annual installations of Sacramento-area solar panels, as measured by kilowatts in use, grew from 991 kilowatts in 2007 up to 7,000 kilowatts in 2013.
The statistics are part of a series of reports on the impact of clean technologies on different local economies in California. On Tuesday, the groups released a report on Sacramento and another on the Bay Area. Reports over the next few days will look at the economies of Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego and the San Joaquin Valley.
"Regional economies are driving innovation and providing a test ground for clean technologies to be shared at the state level," said Renee Steichen, clean economy practice manager for Collaborative Economics, a Bay Area-based consultancy firm that prepared the report.
The report was paid for by Next10, a nonpartisan think tank.
The report also credits the Sacramento Municipal Utility District for being "a catalyst for growing the clean energy economy." In particular, the report highlighted a special rate program for electric vehicle drivers offered by the regional utility.
More than 5,000 electric vehicles were registered in the region as of 2013, the report noted, a 20 percent increase over 2012.