Energy Testimony

I would like to thank Chairman Schuler and the members of the Energy and Public Utilities Committee for hearing my testimony in support of HB 251.

My name is Amy Gomberg and I am the Environmental Advocate for Environment Ohio. Environment Ohio is the new home to the environmental work of Ohio PIRG. We are a nonprofit, nonpartisan statewide environmental group. We do independent research and advocacy focusing on protecting Ohio's air, water and open spaces. One of our top priorities is promoting a cleaner, safer, and healthier energy future for Ohio.

I want to commend both the Senate and House Energy Committees and Representative Uecker for his leadership in bringing forward this legislation that includes an important wind production incentive that will help harness more of Ohio’s wind energy resources, and support Ohio’s businesses that manufacture renewable energy technologies that create Ohio jobs.   

Ohio has the wind potential, technological know-how and manufacturing base to become energy independent.  Developing Ohio’s wind energy will bring many additional benefits to the state. 

• Energy Independence: Currently, Ohio is spending billions of dollars on imported energy resources.  By harnessing our own wind energy we will lessen our dependence on expensive, imported fossil fuels, and we will keep more Ohio dollars in-state.
  
  
• Job Creation: Investing in wind energy will also help to create manufacturing jobs in Ohio.  Ohio ranks second, behind California, in the potential for job creation from renewable energies.  Investing in wind energy could bring 13,000 manufacturing jobs to the state.
•  Farmland and Rural Development: Land owners who lease their land to wind developers could gain anywhere from $2,000 to $20,000 annually. Rural economies will also benefit from property tax revenues generated from installing wind turbines.
  
  
• A Healthier Environment: Wind turbines produce energy without using any polluting fuels or leaving behind any toxic emissions or waste.

Environment Ohio supports the wind production incentive included in HB 251, and we encourage Ohio’s leaders to implement other policies that will foster the development of clean energy in Ohio. In the future, we urge you to consider an increased investment in the Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Fund, by making the fund a permanent contributor to the development of renewable energy in Ohio.

Please refer to our latest report “Ohio’s Wind Energy Future” to learn more about the potential benefits that wind energy will bring to Ohio as well as to Ohio’s Wind Resource Explorer (http://www.windexplorer.com/Ohio/ohio.htm) for a detailed look at where Ohio’s greatest wind potential exists.  Thank you for considering Environment Ohio’s testimony on HB 251.