Advanced Energy Economy (AEE), a national business association, hosted an electric vehicle charging event in conjunction with the City of Orlando and Greenlots, a company that deploys electric vehicle charging stations. The event, held last Friday on the northwest lawn of Lake Eola Park, featured an electric vehicle charging infrastructure tour.
“It was awesome to join community advocates as we celebrated the growth of electric vehicle charging stations in Central Florida,” said Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando. “As more people transition to electric vehicles, it becomes even more important to provide convenient, universal, and reliable charging stations. It’s incredible to see the City of Orlando lead on these efforts and I’m excited to continue supporting EV expansion via the Florida Legislature, too!”
The City of Orlando has set a bold vision to become the electric vehicle leader of the Southeast, investing in hundreds of charging stations and adding multiple EVs to the municipal fleet. The city is also establishing an electric vehicle readiness code to help meet current and future EV charging needs. Friday’s event recognized the regional economic benefits of Orlando’s investment in charging infrastructure and highlighted policies that the state should adopt to foster expansion of electric vehicle use.
Local leaders at the event included AEE principal Ebo Entsuah, Greenlots Director of Policy Josh Cohen, and Linda Ferrone, chief customer and marketing officer of the Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC). Oscar Rodriguez, the executive chairman of Orlando-based EV charging solutions manufacturer NovaCHARGE, led the event’s local EV infrastructure tour.
“Orlando has already proven itself as a state leader in the advanced energy space, and its efforts to prioritize electric vehicles are sure to prepare the city for the advanced vehicle industry’s continued growth in Florida,” said Entsuah. “As Orlando continues to support electric vehicles and clean energy initiatives, I expect that we will see more and more economic benefits in the city’s future.”
According to a recent report from AEE, the advanced energy industry employs more than 13,000 people in Orange County and more than 153,000 Floridians across the state. More specifically, the portion of that industry dedicated to advanced vehicles in Florida – which includes hybrid, electric, natural gas, and fuel cell vehicles – provides 9,300 jobs alone.
“The Orlando Utilities Commission is proud to partner with the City of Orlando to advance electric vehicle infrastructure. Together, we’ve made Orlando one of the top 10 most EV-ready cities in the nation,” said Ferrone. “OUC has installed over 300 electric vehicle charging stations around the city, and that number will continue to grow.”
OUC has worked closely with the City of Orlando over the past 10 years to make the city a hub for vehicle electrification. NovaCHARGE recently teamed up with both entities and deployed 100 new charging stations in the Orlando area.
“Orlando is our company’s hometown, so we are particularly appreciative of the city for making electric vehicle charging infrastructure such a high priority,” said Rodriguez. “NovaCHARGE is thrilled to play a part in Orlando’s progress toward becoming the electric vehicle leader of the Southeast, and we hope cities across the state follow its example.”
About Advanced Energy Economy
Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) is a national association of businesses that are making the energy we use secure, clean, and affordable. Advanced energy encompasses a broad range of products and services that constitute the best available technologies for meeting energy needs today and tomorrow. These include energy efficiency, demand response, energy storage, solar, wind, hydro, nuclear, electric vehicles, biofuels, and smart grid. AEE represents more than 100 companies in the $238 billion U.S. advanced energy industry, which employs 3.6 million American workers.
