The Top 10: Most Polluted U.S. Cities — Eco-Friendly Companies — Green Energy Programs in the U.S. — States for Hybrid Registrations — Greenest Vehicles

…Most Polluted U.S. Cities (Ozone Rated Only)

1. Los Angeles, CA (Long Beach, CA; Riverside, CA)
2. Bakersfield, CA
3. Fresno-Madera, CA
4. Visalia-Porterville, CA
5. Merced, CA
6. Houston, TX (Baytown, Huntsville, Tex.)
7. Sacramento, CA (Arden, CA; Arcade, CA; Truckee, NV)
8. Dallas/Fort Worth, TX
9. New York (Newark, NJ; Bridgeport, CT)
10. Philadelphia, PA (Camden, NJ; Vineland, NJ)

Source: American Lung Association (for 2005), via Forbes magazine

…Eco-Friendly Companies*

1. Seattle Biodiesel
2. Miasole
3. Hydrogenics
4. Panda Development
5. STM Power
6. Ion America
7. Vestas Wind Systems
8. PowerLight
9. SunPower Corp.
10. Comverge, Inc.

* Not neccessarily the “Top 10,” but, according to Newsweek, these companies are “winning over investors and customers, and saving the environment” based on their alternative-energy projects and/or new technologies.

Source: Newsweek, November 2005

…Green Energy Programs in the U.S.

(MWh/year = million kWh/year rounded down)

1. Austin Energy
Resources used: wind power, land fill gas
Sales: 435 MWh/year

2. Portland General Electric (PGE)
Resources used: existing geothermal and hydro, wind
Sales: 340 MWh/year

3. PacifiCorp
Resources used: wind, biomass, solar
Sales: 234 MWh/year

4. Florida Power & Light
Resources used: biomass, wind, solar
Sales: 225 MWh/year

5. Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD)
Resources used: landfill gas, wind, small hydro, solar
Sales: 195 MWh/year

6. Xcel Energy
Resources used: wind
Sales: 148 MWh/year

7. National Grid
Resources used: biomass, wind, small hydro, solar
Sales: 128 MWh/year

8. Basin Electric Power Cooperative (SMUD) -
Resources used: wind
Sales: 114 MWh/year

9. Puget Sound Energy (PSE)
Resources used: wind, solar, biogas
Sales: 71 MWh/year

10. OG&E Electric Services
Resources used: wind
Sales: 64 MWh/year

Source: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), December 2005

…States for Hybrid Registrations

1. California
Hybrid vehicle registrations: 52,619
State’s share of total U.S. hybrid volume: 26.4 percent

2. Florida
Hybrid vehicle registrations: 10,470
State’s share of total U.S. hybrid volume: 5.3 percent

3. Texas
Hybrid vehicle registrations: 9,632
State’s share of total U.S. hybrid volume: 4.8 percent

4. New York
Hybrid vehicle registrations: 9,372
State’s share of total U.S. hybrid volume: 4.7 percent

5. Virginia
Hybrid vehicle registrations: 8,650
State’s share of total U.S. hybrid volume: 4.3 percent

6. Illinois
Hybrid vehicle registrations: 7,286
State’s share of total U.S. hybrid volume: 3.7 percent

7. Washington
Hybrid vehicle registrations: 6,970
State’s share of total U.S. hybrid volume: 3.5 percent

8. Pennsylvania
Hybrid vehicle registrations: 6,948
State’s share of total U.S. hybrid volume: 3.5 percent

9. Massachusetts
Hybrid vehicle registrations: 6,060
State’s share of total U.S. hybrid volume: 3.0 percent

10. Maryland
Hybrid vehicle registrations: 5,673
State’s share of total U.S. hybrid volume: 2.8 percent

Combined top ten
Hybrid vehicle registrations: 123,680
Share of total U.S. hybrid volume: 62.1 percent

Source: R.L. Polk & Co. (for 2005), via The Associated Press

…Greenest Vehicles

* Certain other configurations of these models (w/ different transmissions or meeting different emission standards) score nearly as well.
** Compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicle fuel economy given in gasoline-equivalent miles per gallon
*** These vehicles are “twins” — the same base model carrying different names.

Source: GreenerCars.com (for 2005), via The Auto Channel