Energy In the News

With additional time to make their budget pleas, environmental advocates pressed lawmakers Tuesday to scrap amendments they say would "pollute" the state's newly crafted renewable energy standard.

Environment Ohio made their case with their new report showing the cost of per capita fossil fuel spending will rise nearly 60% over the next 20 years unless policymakers take steps to shift energy consumption toward renewable sources, such as wind and solar.

Terrence O'Donnell, an attorney representing the renewable trade association Ohio Advanced Energy, said amendments to the biennial budget (HB 1) that would add trash and tire-burning technologies, coalmine methane, and "black liquor" paper mill by-products to the renewable energy standard would make "true renewables" less viable in Ohio.

While those technologies may be appropriate for the advanced energy requirement, they should not be eligible sources for utilities to meet the requirement to obtain 12.5% of their electricity supply from renewable sources by 2025, he said.

"We're polluting that renewable energy standard really inappropriately," he said. As a result, many wind and solar companies will be discouraged from starting or expanding operations in Ohio.

Supporters of the proposed changes generally argue that broadening the standard would introduce competition and drive down the cost of renewable energy credits.

Unlike the 12.5% requirement for the advanced energy category, definition as a renewable source would eventually make the companies eligible to sell renewable energy credits.

Another Senate change to the budget would be a positive development for the renewable energy industry, Mr. O'Donnell said, pointing to language that would allow cities to create revolving loan funds to lend residents money to help install solar panels. Consumers could then pay back the loan over a number of years as an assessment on their property tax bill.

Geoff Greenfield, president of Third Sun Solar and Wind, said his installation company saw an immediate increase in demand after the General Assembly enacted the renewable energy standard last year (SB221, 127th General Assembly).

"Even in these tough economic times, we have continued to have a thriving renewable energy business," he said. However, attempts to weaken the renewable energy requirement would drive the fledgling industry to other states.

Environment Ohio organizer Jennifer Herron said the group's report shows Ohio will spend nearly $1 trillion on oil, coal and other fossil fuels by 2030 unless significant state and federal changes are made to shift consumption toward renewable energy sources.

Individual spending on fossil fuels will rise to nearly $1,700 per person by 2030, an increase of 58%, she said.

"These figures do not include the untold damages to our environment, health and society resulting from the production and use of fossil fuels, such as global warming, air and water pollution, mountaintop mining, and oil spills," she said. "The bottom line is every additional dollar we spend on fossil fuels just buys us more global warming pollution, more smog, and more asthma attacks."

Ms. Herron urged U.S. Sen. George Voinovich (R-Cleveland) and Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Cleveland) to support legislation to cap carbon dioxide emissions that recently passed out of the U.S. House