24 Florida also leads the nation in generators that can switch between natural gas and fuel oil. 22, 23 Natural gas has fueled the largest share of Florida's electricity generation since 2003, when it surpassed coal's contribution for the first time. 21 In 2020, natural gas fueled three-fourths of Florida's in-state net generation, and 8 of the state's 10 largest power plants by capacity and by generation are natural gas-fired. 20 Electricityįlorida is the second-largest producer of electricity in the nation.įlorida is the second-largest producer of electricity in the nation, after Texas. 19 Overall, Florida consumes almost eight times more energy than it produces. 17, 18 Florida's commercial sector accounted for more than one-fifth of state energy use and the industrial sector accounted for slightly more than one-tenth. The residential sector, where almost all homes use air conditioning, accounted for more than one-fourth of state energy consumption. 15, 16 The transportation sector, which includes the energy used by the automobiles, trains, planes, and ships that bring the many tourists who visit Florida's beaches and attractions, leads end-use energy consumption, and it accounted for about two-fifths of the state's total energy use in 2019. 13, 14 However, Florida ranks fourth-lowest in per capita energy consumption, in part because of its large population, moderate winter weather, and relatively low industrial sector energy use. 11, 12 Florida is the third-most populous state and the third-largest energy-consuming state in the nation. Until the 20th century, Florida was largely rural and sparsely populated, but it has been one of the fastest growing states during the past century, in part because air conditioning became widely available and because of the state's popularity as a tourist and retirement destination. As a result, Florida has taken more direct hits from tropical storms and hurricanes than any other state in the nation. 7, 8 The Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean make the state one of the most humid in the nation, with frequent summer thunderstorms and occasional devastating hurricanes. 3, 4, 5, 6 The warm waters of the Gulf Stream wrap around much of the state's marine coastline and moderate Florida's climate, which ranges from tropical to subtropical. 2 Known as the Sunshine State, Florida has significant solar energy potential as well as substantial biomass resources and small amounts of oil and natural gas production. 1 The state's northern boundary stretches about 360 miles from the Atlantic Ocean across the Florida Panhandle to the Perdido River, the state's western boundary with Alabama. The Florida peninsula extends almost 450 miles south from the Georgia border to the Florida Keys in the Gulf of Mexico and includes the southernmost point in the continental United States. Florida is the third-largest energy consumer among the states, but its per capita energy consumption is fourth-lowest.
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