Will Ohio’s State Representatives Vote to Flip The Switch ‘On’ For A Renewable Energy Future?
By: Amy Gomberg, Environment Ohio
Ohio’s leaders have a choice. They can choose to make a commitment to renewable energy, and decrease our dependence on fossil fuels, create jobs, revitalize rural Ohio and provide a healthier and cleaner planet for future generations. Or, they can choose to stay the course, and continue to send billons of Ohio dollars out of the state to support our expensive addition to fossil fuels. Ohio’s renewable energy resources, technological know-how and extensive manufacturing, transmission and transportation infrastructure provide Ohio with a recipe to make the right choice and invest in our renewable energy resources. But that recipe requires one important ingredient—a Renewable Energy Standard (RES).
Twenty-five other states and the District of Columbia have enacted renewable energy standards, a policy that requires a state to get a certain percentage of their electricity from renewable resources by a specific date. Most recently, Illinois enacted a 25 percent renewable energy standard by 2025. Colorado and New Mexico recently doubled their RES to 20 percent by 2020, and Minnesota increased theirs to 25 percent by 2025. States are enacting and expanding Renewable Energy Standards because they are experiencing both the economic and environmental benefits of doing so.
Without a strong RES, clean energy resources are far less likely to be developed. Environment Ohio’s research found that in 2006, more than two-thirds of all new renewable energy electric generating capacity in the U.S. was built in states that had a RES. In 2007, 70 percent of planned renewable energy generation capacity was in states with a RES. Additionally, in states with RES, 38 percent of new capacity planned in 2007 came from clean energy while only 12 percent of new electric generation came from clean sources in states without a renewable standard.
Here is an update on the legislative roadmap to Ohio’s clean energy future—Senate Bill 221. This bill includes an “advanced” energy standard which requires Ohio to receive 25 percent of our energy from “advanced” and renewable resources by 2025. At least half of the standard, or 12.5 percent, must come from renewable resources while the other 12.5 percent may be met with advanced energy including nuclear and advanced coal. While this bill will help to open the door to renewable energy development, there are some significant areas for improvement that are needed.
Here are Environment Ohio’s Suggestions:
- Only Renewable Energy: Currently almost 90 percent of Ohio’s electricity comes from coal fired power, and most of the remainder comes from nuclear energy. Ask Ohio’s leaders to support a clean renewable energy standard that will encourage the development of new renewable energy resources, not the traditional expensive and risky fossil fuels.
- A Set Timeline with Benchmarks: Senate Bill 221 requires guidelines set for 2025, however, there is no commitment to renewable energy before that date. Therefore, Ohio’s utilities could wait to develop new renewable energy in Ohio until 2025. We need a renewable energy standard that requires an investment in renewable energy today. Ask Ohio’s leaders to support interim benchmarks, such that Ohio receives at least 10 percent of our energy from renewable resources within the next decade. These interim standards send a clear message to renewable energy businesses that Ohio means business, today.
- Real Enforcement: In order to guarantee the development of renewable energy in Ohio, our energy policy needs to include penalties for noncompliance. Ask Ohio’s leaders to support penalizing utilities that fail to comply with the renewable energy standard.
How you can help
Right now, this energy policy is being considered in the Ohio House of Representatives. Speaker Jon Husted has committed to improving this bill and we need to show him our support. Call Speaker Jon Husted at 614-644-6008 and thank him for supporting a stronger RES for Ohio. Ask Speaker Husted to support interim renewable energy benchmarks such that 10 percent of Ohio’s electricity comes from renewable resources by 2018. Additionally, encourage him to limit the bill strictly to renewable energy resources, and to include enforcement measures.
Contact your state representatives today and let them know how you feel. To find your representative by zip code visit www.house.state.oh.us.
For more information contact Environment Ohio, Amy Gomberg at 614.460.8732; agomberg@environmentohio.org; www.environmentohio.org.