Does your state care about the planet?

The results may surprise you

Amigo Energy, a subsidiary of the Just Energy Group, has released its States that Care about the Planet report this week. In an analysis of Google Trends data and state statistics, Amigo’s team learned that air quality was a top priority in Utah—where Salt Lake City is home to some of the worst air quality in the country—and California was the top state interested in carpooling.

Trent Morrison, Content Strategist for Amigo Energy, believes the compiled data reflects the interests of people throughout the country as they search for solutions to energy and sustainability issues.

“I think the conversation surrounding renewable energy and the need for sustainable lifestyles is much larger than the way we currently think of it,” Morrison says, “We need to continue connecting to people and exploring the social interest in sustainability and green living if we’re ever going to move forward in a way that is good for the planet and good for the people living on it.”

Results showed that while some states may have the highest search volume for a particular sustainability-related word or phrase, cities outside of those states often ranked as the most progressive or active in that area of green living.

“Even though there might be a large group of people who are trying to learn more about a subject, there’s often a separate entity leading the charge,” says Just Energy Group project manager Melissa Talcott. “States like Utah, which is really struggling with air quality issues, may actually have a lot to learn from other cities that have already set up sustainability programs.”

She adds, “We believe this information could be useful as corporations and government agencies work to implement programs and policies that support renewables and sustainable lifestyles.”