Florida's Advanced Energy Has 140,000 Workers, Nearly 2X Ag Jobs, More Than Real Estate

At 2% of state's workforce, advanced energy jobs span a broad range of technologies and are expected to grow 4% in 2016

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Jul 14, 2016, 05:15 ET

WASHINGTON, July 14, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the Advanced Energy Economy Institute reported that Florida employed an estimated 140,282 advanced energy workers in 2015, nearly twice as many as in Agriculture (75,000), more than Real Estate (136,000), and equal to Schools, Colleges, and Training Institutions (140,000). These jobs spanned a broad range of technologies including energy efficiency, electricity generation like solar energy, as well as grid management and advanced transportation.

The report, prepared for the AEE Institute by BW Research Partnership, a leading labor market research firm, shows there are an estimated 25,528 employers engaged in advanced energy business in the state. Companies reported they expect to add more than 5,000 new jobs by the end of this year, to reach more than 145,000 total jobs, an expected 4 percent increase.

The 2016 Advanced Energy Jobs in Florida report can be downloaded here. See the complete release, graphics and photos here.

"In Florida and around the country, advanced energy has become a significant market segment. That is paying off in jobs for Floridians," said Graham Richard, CEO of Advanced Energy Economy (AEE), a national business association with many member companies operating in Florida. The AEE Institute is its affiliated nonprofit educational organization. "This report also shows that there is more room to grow. That's good news for advanced energy companies and for the economy of Florida."

"It is not surprising that advanced energy jobs in Florida are growing," said State Rep. Dane Eagle (R-Cape Coral), Chairman, House Energy & Utilities Subcommittee. "We need to provide a strong business environment that helps to foster the growth of these companies - with the least government intrusion as possible. The message we need to send is that Florida is open for business."

The new report comes as Florida state primary voters consider a ballot initiative on solar energy: The 'Vote Yes on 4' solar campaign describes the Aug. 30 ballot initiative put forth by State Senator Jeff Brandes (R-St. Petersburg) and Representatives Ray Rodrigues (R-Fort Myers) and Lori Berman (D-Boynton Beach).

More Report Highlights:

With over 106,000 workers, Energy Efficiency for buildings makes up 76% of Florida's advanced energy workforce.
Advanced Electricity Generation is the second largest segment (23,500 workers) with solar representing nearly half.
Advanced Transportation employs almost 8,000 workers in fuel cell, Plug-in Electric and Plug-in Hybrid vehicle technologies.
Workers are predominantly male (73%), however 25% are a racial or ethnic minority, with recent hires at 39%; Nearly 8% are veterans, and 10% are over age 55.
Employers are largely small businesses, with 81% employing up to 24 permanent employees.

With more than 20 million residents, Florida is the third most populous state in the country, one of the fastest growing, and a big consumer of energy—ranking second nationally in retail electricity sales, due largely to the need for year-round air conditioning.

About AEE and the AEE Institute
Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) is a national association of businesses that are making the energy we use secure, clean, and affordable. AEE's mission is to transform public policy to enable the rapid growth of advanced energy companies. The Advanced Energy Economy Institute is a nonprofit educational and charitable organization whose mission is to raise awareness of the public benefits and opportunities of advanced energy.

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