Big win: More clean energy coming to Ohio
Ohio 26th state to pass clean energy standard
On May 1, Gov. Ted Strickland signed SB 221, making Ohio the 26th state to enact a renewable energy standard. Environmental groups, wind and solar businesses, labor organizations, manufacturers and many others applauded the work of Gov. Strickland and Ohio’s legislative leaders, most notably Speaker Jon Husted, for making this investment in Ohio’s future. The bill will ensure that 12.5 percent of Ohio’s energy will come from clean, renewable sources by 2025, and reduce overall energy consumption by 22 percent.
“Ohio is now on the map for clean energy development that will reduce pollution, eliminate the need for expensive new coal-fired power plants, and take advantage of a booming new green economy that will create jobs,” stated Erin Bowser, Director of Environment Ohio.
More than half of the states in the U.S. now have renewable energy standards. Other Midwestern states, including Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota, have also put renewable energy standards into place and Michigan is currently considering one.
“Clearly this is a case of individual states leading the way in the face of failed attempts by Congress to pass a national renewable energy standard,” stated Bowser.
Ohio will reap both environmental and economic benefits from generating more clean energy. This is due to the fact that Ohio is better positioned than most states to reap the economic rewards of investing in clean energy because of its extensive manufacturing base and skilled workforce.
Environment Ohio and a coalition of partners, from business leaders, clean energy developers and many others, worked to ensure that an effective policy was put into place that would allow Ohio to receive all of the benefits of clean energy, including reduced pollution and economic development.
“As a developer of wind energy projects in many states across the country, we know how important it is for a state to have a renewable energy standard in place that actually establishes a market for clean energy from day one,” stated Beth O’Brien, representative of Babcock & Brown, a major investor in clean energy.
Environment Ohio staff members thank Gov. Strickland for his leadership on clean energy.
