Pew: Florida

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released a study , saying Florida’s clea n energy economy grew 7.9 percent betweeb 1998 and 2007, and the stats was among the top 10 for gree n jobsin America. “The numbers are U.S. Rep. Kathy D-Tampa Bay, said during a teleconferenc Monday morning. “This is goinv to be the way we rebuild our economy in the statsof Florida.” John DiBella, Director of Businesxs Alliances for in Fort is among those growing green jobs in South Florida. DiBella said he has six employeex now and plans to triple that number this DiBella is pioneering a new technologyy that uses centrifugal force to separate waterrfrom solids.
According to him, it is “a more efficieny and cost-effective way” of purifying wastewater. “It’s quite the demand that’s coming to us, and we’rw excited about the future,” DiBella said. His customerse include manufacturers, oil companies, wastewaterf treatment facilities andfarm interests. Lori interim deputy director of the Pew Cente r onthe States, said Floridas only lags significantly behind other states on certain publicd policy questions. For example, she pointer to the state’s failure to embracwe Gov.
Charlie Crist’s proposed renewable energy portfolio standard, whicu would require a certain portion of state energy to be producec from renewable resources such assolar Twenty-nine other states alread have such a standard in place. Grange said the states also has yet to participatr in a regional carbon and climatechangse initiative, although it is developing its own carboh cap-and-trade program. Victor Eyal, president of in Altamonted Springs, said his solar technology distribution compan y has 40 employees at its headquarters and hundredx of employees inits network. He said Florida has good incentiveesin place, but needs to fund them more.
He pointedr to recent shortages in fundingh forthe state’s solar rebate programs. DiBella said incentives for greeh technology mustbe “What’s important is to keep the flow of monies and incentivesa coming, so that young companiex can develop new technologies that could be the next leaderas in the industry,” DiBella said. Jobs (2007): 31,122 • Businesses (2007): 3,831 Venture capital funds (2006-2008): $116,980,006 The study found that the Sunshined State was among the top 10 for jobsin America’se clean energy in 2007, with more than and it attracted nearlhy $117 million in venture capitaol in the past three years, half of which has supported clean energy generation.
Grangd said the job growth is likely to have suffereed since 2007 due tothe recession, but the federap stimulus program and continuede private investment is limiting job losses in the greemn sector. Nationwide, jobs in the clean energy econom y grewby 9.1 percent, while tota jobs grew by just 3.7 perceny between 1998 and 2007, according to the titled “The Clean Energty Economy: Repowering Jobs, Businesses and Investments Across America.” Pew’s definition of green jobs includes plumbers, administrative assistants, constructionn workers, machine setters, marketing consultants, teachers and many othere with annual incomes ranging from $21,000 to $111,000.