Jackson can expand its advanced energy workforce | Opinion
CORTNEY PIPER
Jackson is a key connection point in the state for advanced energy. Thousands of people here are employed in the sector, which is responsible for one in 10 jobs in this area. We at the Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council want to strengthen those jobs and develop more for Jackson and Tennessee overall.
Jackson’s Metropolitan Statistical Area includes Chester, Crockett, and Madison Counties. A TAEBC report in 2018 found that advanced energy employed 5,928 people here, which is 10.3 percent of total employment. These are good jobs in the community with an average salary of $34,000 a year. The advanced energy jobs exist primarily in manufacturing, utilities and construction, with 5,333 employees, according to that report. Solar energy, in particular, has a home in Jackson.