Heat is on Florida to produce more energy efficient jobs

The Sunshine State might not be a national leader in solar power, but Florida, according to a new report, made sizeable gains in energy efficient jobs — at least until the pandemic.

The state, according to the report from clean energy groups E2 and E4TheFuture, began 2020 No. 4 nationally with 123,600 energy efficient jobs, up 4.4% from 118,400 in 2018. Energy efficiency jobs, the report states, can be in manufacturing, such as making Energy Star appliances, efficient windows and doors and LED lighting systems; construction, in retrofitting buildings, offices and schools to make them more efficient; and in HVAC companies that upgrade outdated and inefficient systems, boilers, ductwork and other equipment. More than one-fourth of all U.S. energy workers in 2019, the report states, 28%, were in energy efficiency positions.

Florida, like many other states, took a step backward in 2020 in energy efficiency jobs, courtesy of the pandemic. The state has lost more than 18,100 jobs in the sector since March, a 14.7% decrease compared to total jobs in December 2019, the report found. That wiped out the past three years of gains. This disruption, the report adds, continues to ripple throughout the supply chain, slowing or halting the manufacture of efficiency equipment and components including insulation, windows, heating, ventilation and HVAC equipment.

The report calls on Congress and policymakers to prioritize stimulus packages and other programs that can boost the industry. “Energy efficiency is a bipartisan issue and it benefits every state in the country,” E2 Director of Federal Advocacy Sandra Purohit says in a statement. “Help get the more than 300,00 unemployed energy efficiency workers back on the job and in return they’ll help get our economy back on track.”