Advanced Energy Perspectives

Chuck Fernandez takes a selfie with the solar array he just installed in Lancaster, Calif. Image courtesy of Mr. Fernandez and NEXTracker.

Last week, eight major business associations across the spectrum commonly known as “clean energy,” including AEE, held a daylong social media event celebrating the employment impact of our collective industries. Under the #CleanEnergyJobs hashtag, more than 900 companies, organizations, and individuals sent out messages, infographics, videos, and photos – including more than a few selfies and team pics – extolling life on the job in clean energy. It was all to amplify a bit of powerful economic news: Based on the latest data from the U.S. Dept. of Energy, clean energy now supports more than 3 million U.S. jobs – equal to the employment provided by retail stores, and twice as many as building construction. We thought this news was worth shouting, if not from the rooftops, at least via Twitter!

Image courtesy of Nearmap.

With more than 20 million residents, Florida is the third most populous state in the country, and one of the fastest growing. It is also a major energy consumer, ranking second nationally in retail electricity sales. Because of the need for year-round air conditioning, it also has one of the highest rates of home electricity consumption in the United States. As the state grows and consumers continue to demand more energy choices, Florida is increasingly turning to advanced energy to meet its electricity needs - and reaping the economic benefits that come with it.   We began to quantify these benefits last year with publication of Advanced Energy in Florida, a report that measured the size of the advanced energy industry in the Sunshine State in terms of dollars. The results were impressive: Florida is home to an industry that brought in $6.2 billion in revenue in 2014. Now, we know that advanced energy means jobs in the Sunshine State as well. 

For years now, AEE has been tracking the growth of the advanced energy industry in terms of dollars. Since 2011, U.S. advanced energy revenue has grown 29%, reaching $200 billion in 2015. While market growth has been impressive, we have struggled to pinpoint the number of jobs supported by the industry given the complexity of industry surveys. But now, thanks to newly available data, we can say definitively that advanced energy is a major source of employment in the U.S. How does advanced energy measure up compared to other employment sectors? Let’s look at the numbers.