Showcased growing state industry of more than 90 companies, 11,000 employees and $132 billion U.S. market
Contacts:Shelly Baron, 501-655-2243 or shelly@arkansasadvancedenergyfoundation.org
Steve Patterson, steve@arkansasadvancedenergyfoundation.org
(Little Rock, Ark.) Arkansas Advanced Energy Association (AAEA) hosted its first “Advanced Energy Day at the Legislature,” Wednesday, featuring nearly 20 exhibitors in the Capitol Rotunda and an afternoon panel of advanced energy industry leaders who addressed questions from legislators and the public. The day’s activities showcased the strength of state’s advanced energy economy and its ability to provide Arkansans with more energy choices. A recent employment study released by AAEA showed more than 11,300 Arkansans employed by about 90 advanced energy companies across the state.
“We believe that growing our state’s share of the advanced energy economy means more jobs and more energy choices for Arkansans,” said Steve Patterson, executive director of the Arkansas Advanced Energy Association. “AAEA stands ready to work with our state leaders to take every advantage of Arkansas’s abundant advanced energy resources.”
The afternoon panel discussion included top advanced energy business leaders, each of whom are active in AAEA: David Baker, senior vice president, Future Fuel Chemical Company; Mike Callan, president, Arkansas Oklahoma Gas Corporation; John Malinowski, senior product manager, Baldor Electric Co.; Steve Packard, executive, Schneider Electric; Naomi Lovinger, Head of Communications, Nordex USA; Mario Hurtado, Executive Vice President for Development, Clean Line Energy Partners and Pam Speraw, CEO, Sun City Solar Energy.
Panelists spoke to legislators about the unique challenges and successes their companies face in today’s energy marketplace and how the advanced energy sector represents the best available commercial technologies for meeting state and global energy needs for today and tomorrow.
“AAEA hopes the newly elected state legislature will recognize that Arkansas advanced energy firms are delivering economic value to our state today and have even greater potential to strengthen rural communities and create more jobs tomorrow, “ Patterson said. “We will support initiatives to encourage more wind component manufacturing and expand to other forms of advanced energy like solar and biofuels manufacturing and compressed natural gas. And we are working with state leaders to remove barriers to energy efficiency programs that can save Arkansas families and businesses money.”
The exhibits were powered by a mobile solar unit provided by one of Arkansas Advanced Energy Association’s member companies, Stellar Sun, and included the Pulaski Technical College Mobile Weatherization Lab that was stationed outside of the Capitol. The laboratory allows for hands-on training in energy efficiencies and weatherization specific to mobile homes.
A new report released last week by Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) shows that advanced energy was a $1.1 trillion global market in 2011, larger than pharmaceutical manufacturing worldwide. The first-ever analysis of the advanced energy sector also shows that the market in the U.S. represents a significant part of the nation’s economy, with $132 billion in revenue in 2011, and a 19 percent growth rate estimated for 2012, with U.S. revenue rising to $157 billion.
The global study follows a similar report released by the Arkansas Advanced Energy Association in October 2012, focusing on Arkansas only. The Arkansas study found more than half of the state’s advanced energy workers are in energy efficiency manufacturing, consumer products or building materials. This full report showing that the Advanced Energy sector has gained a strong foothold in the Arkansas economy at www.arkansasadvancedenergyfoundation.org/jobsreport.
Arkansas Advanced Energy Association is a business group dedicated to growing Arkansas’s economy by expanding our energy workforce and manufacturing base through the increased development, manufacture, and utilization of advanced energy technologies. www.arkansasadvancedenergy.com
The Arkansas Advanced Energy Foundation is the educational and charitable affiliate of the AAEA. The Foundation promotes greater public understanding of advanced energy in Arkansas through research, public education programs and economic and workforce development. The Foundation is dedicated to informing the energy policy debate with well-researched, fact-based data on the advanced energy economy in Arkansas and by providing a public forum where state leaders can address Arkansas’s energy challenges for the future. www.arkansasadvancedenergyfoundation.org
To listen to what advanced energy CEOs are saying about advanced energy in Arkansas, visit: http://www.arkansasadvancedenergy.com/about/what-ceo-s-are-saying Follow Arkansas Advanced Energy on Twitter @ArkAdvEnergy and like “Arkansas Advanced Energy Association” on Facebook.
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