A report from the self-described nonpartisan and nonprofit group Next 10 has identified San Diego County and Imperial County as leaders in the development of microgrid and biorenewable technologies.
San Francisco-based Next 10 announced the results of the report Thursday, alongside another report identifying the Los Angeles-Orange County area as the largest and fastest-growing electric vehicle market in the state and a "hotbed" for other advanced transportation technologies.
"The Los Angeles area and the San Diego region have unique local assets that are being leveraged to drive innovation, investment and growth in the clean economy — a pattern we are seeing repeated across the state," F. Noel Perry, founder of the Next 10 group, said in a release.
The release noted that UC San Diego is working with the area's technology companies, as well as San Diego Gas & Electric and the military, to advance grid innovation.
Byron Washom, UCSD's director of strategic energy initiatives, said the campus generates 92 percent of its own energy.
"Our cutting-edge microgrid is attracting companies from all over the world who want to use it as an energy technology testing ground," Washom said.
According to the report, the region also leads the state in advanced biorenewable fuels, chemicals, and products derived from renewable feedstocks such as plants, algae, and waste.