
The United States remains a very attractive place to invest in green energy projects, coming in at number two on Ernst & Young's recently released Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index.
Though it trailed China on the overall attractiveness index, released quarterly, the United States came in at number one for solar energy initiatives. Many Department of Energy loan guarantees were awarded to large-scale solar projects during the first half of the year. During the first quarter, these projects produced 252 megawatts of power, compared to 152 megawatts in the first quarter of 2010.
The United States also scored high for its wind projects, though its onshore wind initiatives, with a score of 70, outscored its offshore wind projects, which scored 56. Germany and the U.K. posted high scores of 77 for offshore wind, while China led the pack for onshore wind, also scoring 77.
While the United States has historically scored well on the E&Y index, the end of stimulus programs funding green energy projects, as well Congress' inability to pass a Clean Energy Standard, present challenges.
Despite uncertainty over federal funding, many renewable energy projects have recently moved forward in the United States. The country's offshore wind score could climb, as Illinois recently formed a research group to investigate Lake Michigan wind farms. Researchers in Massachusetts and Washington are experimenting with hydrokinetic power generation, and Nevada has become a geothermal energy leader, with 80 plants in the works.

