With the legislative session in Ohio scheduled to end on Wednesday, July 17, the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) is urging state legislators to support pro-renewable policies and reject legislation that would stymie renewable energy growth in the state.
Ohio’s House Bill 6 establishes a township referendum process that would eliminate the state’s RPS and, essentially, discriminate against wind-power development.
“We remain deeply concerned about any potential rollback of Ohio’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS),” said Gregory Wetstone, ACORE’s President and CEO. “While we were pleased to see some progress in the Senate substitute to House Bill 6 — notably the exclusion of an unfair township referendum provision that discriminated against wind development — we are troubled that the legislation as currently drafted would significantly weaken the state’s RPS while providing unwarranted subsidies to uneconomic coal and nuclear power plants.”
Last month, ACORE sent Ohio Governor Mike DeWine a letter urging the opposition of House Bill 6 in favor of legislation that does not place at risk or limit renewable energy investment and deployment.
According to an analysis by members of ACORE’s U.S. Partnership for Renewable Energy Finance program, more reasonable wind-turbine setback requirements, a viable RPS, and a supportive development approach could result in new investment and economic activity in the state.
“Under a supportive policy framework, Ohio could see more than $11 billion of new investment in renewable power within the next five years,” added Wetstone. “We would hate to see the state undermine this massive economic opportunity, which could ensure low electric rates and a healthier environment for Buckeye State businesses and consumers.”
Today, the renewable energy sector employs nearly 10,000 Ohioans and contributes millions of dollars each year in local revenue.
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