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The Claim

"The fact is that every state in this country can produce at least 10 percent of its electricity from solar."
--Bernie Sanders, Senator, I-Vt. (source)

The Context

The independent senator from Vermont recently introduced clean energy legislation (pdf) with the goal of putting 10 million new solar electricity systems and 200,000 new solar water heating systems on American rooftops within 10 years. Despite what critics say, he doesn't think any state is too cloudy to benefit.

The Evidence

Utilizing rooftop photovoltaics alone, 10 percent of every state's electricity sales (using 2007 numbers) could be met, according to studies from the U.S. Department of Energy. The Energy Self Reliant States report (pdf) published by the New Rules Project nicely synthesizes data from a study produced by (pdf) the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, which evaluates the current technical potential of rooftop photovoltaics.

Besides telling us that one-tenth of each state's energy needs could come from rooftop solar, this report shows that 15 states could, right now, produce more than 25 percent of their electricity demand with the basic available photovoltaic technology. Experts caution that we still need to develop other renewable technologies to meet America's energy needs (including wind, geothermal and concentrated solar power), but rooftop solar systems could play a significant role in reducing the need for carbon-based fuels to produce electricity.

A map on Page 10 of the Energy Self Reliant States report (Page 15 in the pdf) shows that Sanders' confidence in the solar capabilities of each state is well founded.

The Verdict

The facts back up Bernie's sunny claim.