Pew: Florida

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released a study , sayinhg Florida’s clean energy economy grew 7.9 percent betweebn 1998 and 2007, and the statwe was among the top 10 for green jobsin “The numbers are impressive,” U.S. Rep. Katht Castor, D-Tampa Bay, said during a teleconferencs Monday morning. “This is goinyg to be the way we rebuilc our economy in the stateof Florida.” John Director of Business Alliances for in Fort is among those growing greejn jobs in South Florida. DiBella said he has six employees now and plans to triple that numberfthis year. DiBella is pioneeringv a new technology that uses centrifugal force to separatw waterfrom solids.
According to him, it is “a more efficientg and cost-effective way” of purifying wastewater. “It’s quite the demand that’s coming to us, and we’re excited aboutf the future,” DiBella said. His customera include manufacturers, oil wastewater treatment facilities andfarm interests. Lori interim deputy director of the Pew Center on the said Florida only lags significantly behind otherf states on certain public policy For example, she pointed to the state’s failure to embrace Gov.
Charlie Crist’s proposed renewable energyh portfolio standard, which would require a certain portion of statw energy to be producerd from renewable resources such assolar power. Twenty-nine otherd states already have such a standard in Grange said the state also has yet to participated in a regional carbon and climatschange initiative, although it is developing its own carbonb cap-and-trade program. Victor Eyal, president of in Altamonte said his solar technology distribution company has 40 employeesz at its headquarters and hundreds of employees inits network.
He said Floridaa has good incentivesin place, but needs to fund them He pointed to recent shortages in fundingh for the state’s solar rebate programs. DiBellwa said incentives for green technologh mustbe consistent. “What’s importanty is to keep the flow of monies andincentivesx coming, so that young companiese can develop new technologies that could be the next leadersw in the industry,” DiBella • Jobs (2007): 31,122q • Businesses (2007): 3,831 Venture capital funds (2006-2008): $116,980,006 The study found that the Sunshine Statw was among the top 10 for jobs in America’e clean energy in 2007, with more than and it attracted nearly $117 millio in venture capital in the past threed years, half of which has supported cleabn energy generation.
Grange said the job growth is likel y to have suffered since 2007 due to the but the federal stimulus program and continuesd private investment is limitingy job losses in thegreen sector. jobs in the clean energy economh grewby 9.1 percent, while total jobs grew by just 3.7 percengt between 1998 and 2007, accordinhg to the report, titled “The Cleanm Energy Economy: Repowering Jobs, Businesses and Investmentas Across America.
” Pew’s definition of green jobs includex engineers, plumbers, administrative assistants, construction workers, machinr setters, marketing consultants, teachers and many others with annual incomes ranging from $21,000 to