Why Energy Independence
There is a growing imperative to put both state and federal policies in place to create a robust market for clean energy technologies. Unfortunately, Florida is missing opportunities to grow the low carbon economy and create the jobs we need because we lack policies that produce the certainty businesses need to unleash investment.
Clean energy attracted sizeable venture capital in 2009. More venture capital now flows to clean tech companies than to any other industry, including the biotechnology and software sectors long recruited by economic development experts. Florida still lags in developing a mature clean tech sector. The state does not even rank in the Top 10 for clean tech development, according to industry watcher Cleantech Group LLC.
The leading state for investment was California with private investment of $2.1 billion invested in 116 deals in 2009. It is no coincidence that CA has the most robust renewable energy policy in the nation. Clean technology venture investment totaled $5.6 billion in 2009. The leading sector was Solar ($774 million in 40 deals), which accounted for 22% of total investment, closely followed by Transportation ($767 million in 46 deals) and Energy Efficiency ($691 million in 75 deals).1 California is followed by Massachusetts ($356 million invested in 27 deals, an increase of 21% from 2008) and Texas ($170 million invested in 19 deals, an increase of 93% from 2008).
The Clean Energy Congress is a unique opportunity for clean energy business interests and other stakeholders to lay out a vision and recommendations for moving Florida forward.
Additional Reading:
Renewable.acore_stimulus_overview_1_.pdf
Tallahassee.Demo.4.1.10.RPS.Our_Opinion.pdf
FLSEA.Cost_of_Doing_Nothing_03-23-10.ppt
