Post-hurricane New Orleans is following a greener path.

As the Crescent City struggles to rebuild, many institutions and individuals want to make sure it's done in a cleaner and smarter way. To that end, homes are being fitted with solar panels, urban organic farming is being popularized, and the city has even acquired a new fleet of hybrid buses, according to the Associated Press.

Louisiana is a state that is heavily dependent on oil revenue, creating an environment that is not exactly environmentally-friendly.  But as the Associated Press reports:

Whatever the reason, the hurricane created a testing ground for ideas and initiatives.

Before Katrina, government officials rarely talked about renewable energy or "green building." Solar technology powered little more than parking meters. Environmentalists were shut out of Louisiana politics for decades.

Now, they see a watershed era taking shape.

Whether it's solar panels in the Lower 9th Ward or restoration of wetlands destroyed by oil companies, environmental advocates are hoping the green movement becomes a core part of the city's continued regrowth and renewal.

The Associated Press reports that the greening could gain even greater footing under President Obama, who recently named Lower Ninth Ward native Linda Jackson to head the Environmental Protection Agency.