Vastly higher clean energy targets are essential to empower the international community to make the leap to a sustainable future, according to Richard Heinberg, coauthor of “Our Renewable Future: Laying the Path for One Hundred Percent Clean Energy.” In this interview, he delves into the practical challenges involved in the global transition to renewable power sources.

Across the nation, new elected officials have been sworn in this January. They can alter the trajectory of clean energy projects in the years to come. Incoming governors may preside over expanding clean energy markets.

While solar and wind resources are abundant in the western United States, the region faces technical, operational and management challenges in transitioning to cleaner energy portfolios. Integrating renewable energy into existing electric grids continues to be a difficult hurdle for many electricity markets. When utilities face intermittent renewable energy generation, energy imbalance markets (EIMs) have been developed to mitigate the gaps between production and demand.

With so much happening at a state level in solar power and energy efficiency, it is difficult to keep up with the variety of approaches and perspectives. So the Yale Center for Business and the Environment is here to help by launching “States of Clean Energy Innovation,” an online news hub with customized clean energy data and stories about the United States and Puerto Rico. Each state is different. Each state has thoughtful leaders working on our transition to clean energy. And each state deserves its own dashboard.

Although New Hampshire isn’t in the forefront of clean energy in New England, the solar power and energy efficiency industries are active there, according to Michael Behrmann, director of New Hampshire Clean Tech Council. In this interview, he said that some solar developers are working around bottlenecks at the state level by bypassing bureaucratic intervention. There is more state support for energy efficiency than for solar power.

Wyoming is dipping a toe into the solar market this year for the first time. In the energy efficiency arena, it has not yet explored its potential. However, analysts predict it will become a leading wind-power state in a few years. Scott Quillinan, director of operations and communications at the University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources, said in this interview that the state is experiencing differential growth in its clean energy markets.

There is a strong groundswell of support for solar power and energy efficiency in Oregon. This has boosted the state’s programs and amplified their accomplishments, according to Janine Benner, director of Oregon Department of Energy. In this interview, she said Oregon is using these technologies to offset the environmental impact of its growing IT industry.

Since Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico has been a productive location for entrepreneurs who are eager to get involved in installing solar power and energy storage. One of them is Alejandro Uriarte, CEO of New Energy Consultants & Contractors. In this interview, he describes the rocky road that the island territory has encountered as it seeks to build out clean energy.

Clean energy is competing with natural gas in Pennsylvania. As the state attempts to optimize its renewable energy incentives, the market is chugging forward with some difficulty, according to Rob Altenburg, director of PennFuture Energy Center. In this interview, he explains some of the roadblocks that exist.

Legislative reluctance to support clean energy has held back entrepreneurial opportunities for companies in Ohio, according to Greg Smith, president of Energy Optimizers USA. In this interview, he said energy efficiency has massive potential in the state but fossil fuels have a solid base of support.