Smart Grid Project to Generate 6K Jobs in Florida

November 2, 2009 by Baykal
Filed under: Home Improvement

Over the next two years, Florida Power & Light will have $200 million in federal stimulus dollars at their disposal to outfit 2.6 million of their customers with smart power grid meters. FPL will be contributing $375 million of their own money to the undertaking. The FPL project is going by the name Energy Smart Florida and is expected to, directly and indirectly; generate more than 6,000 jobs for Florida residents over the next few years. This is welcome news to anyone with a contractors license, as many contractors will be needed to support the Florida smart grid efforts.

The intent of the smart meters is twofold: firstly, they allow the utility providers to have real-time, accurate feedback on where their power is being consumed and in what manner so that they can adjust accordingly. Secondly, the smart meters give home owners detailed insight into how they are consuming power and how they might shift their activity in order to minimize consumption and energy costs.
The jobs which will be created as a result of the FPL’s smart grid efforts are in the form of installers, monitors, and manufacturers of the smart meters. Construction industry professionals would be wise to bring themselves up to speed with aspects of the smart grid technology as soon as possible, as there is an absence of construction companies trained on smart metering. The ideal businesses to make the cross-over would be low voltage contractors, such as alarm system installers and building automation system contractors. Presently, General Electric is the front-runner to be the FPL’s smart meter manufacturer, so contractors may want to become familiar with the GE product line.

The federal dollars being allocated to Florida are part of larger sum of $3.4 billion which the Obama administration is dedicating to boosting the country’s power infrastructure. The FPL’s smart grid project was one of 100 projects nationwide selected by the federal government for funding. According to the Department of Energy, there were over 400 project proposals submitted.

jobtrio.com Staff
Construction Industry Newswire

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