COLUMBUS- Governor Strickland’s announcement today about his new energy advisor is a step in the right direction for Ohio to become energy independent. Each year, Ohio spends billions of dollars importing dirty and expensive energy from out of state. On the list of the governor’s priorities is developing more wind energy.
“Harnessing our own homegrown energy from the wind that blows across the Buckeye state and leveraging our extensive manufacturing base would be a real investment in our economy and put more Ohioans to work,” stated Erin Bowser, Environment Ohio Director. “We applaud the Governor’s efforts to prioritize more sustainable energy development and we hope that he’ll take the next step and set a goal of 10% of our energy coming from wind within the next decade.”
Developing wind energy in Ohio will benefit the state in many ways:
• Energy Independence: In 2001, energy imports cost Ohio more than $16 billion. By increasing Ohio's clean, homegrown energy resources, we could keep more Ohio dollars in state. Building new wind energy farms is more beneficial to our state's economy than investing in new coal- or gas-fired power plants.
• Job Creation: According to the Renewable Energy Policy Project, more than 1,000 Ohio businesses have the capacity to make component parts and materials used in wind turbines. A national investment in wind energy could bring 13,000 additional manufacturing jobs to Ohio. Dozens of Ohio companies -- including Owens Corning in Toledo, Parker Hannifin in Cleveland and Cast-Fab Technologies in Cincinnati -- are already manufacturing parts for wind turbines. With impressive research facilities throughout the state, including at Ohio State, NASA, the Battelle Memorial Institute and the University of Toledo, Ohio has the potential to be the Silicon Valley of the renewable energy industry.
• Farmland and Rural Development: Farmers who lease their land to wind developers could receive annual payments from $2,000 to $10,000 per wind turbine. Rural economies could also benefit from property tax revenues generated from installing wind turbines. For instance, in Carbon County, Wyo., revenue from property taxes on one wind farm provides 30 percent of the county's budget. This boost to rural economies and the additional income for Ohio's farmers could reinvigorate rural Ohio.
• A Healthier Environment: Wind turbines produce energy without using any polluting fuels or leaving behind any toxic emissions or waste. By increasing the energy we produce from wind we will be creating a healthier and cleaner future for our children.
Ohio's leaders have taken a small step toward energy independence by recently passing House Bill 251 in addition to Strickland’s announcement today to prioritize alternative energy development. Yet, Ohio still has a way to go and other states' actions have shown that good legislation can lead to energy independence:
• Texas enacted a Renewable Energy Standard which requires 5,880 megawatts of installed wind energy by 2015. The legislation included a goal of developing 10,000 megawatts of renewable energy, powering approximately 3 million homes by 2025. Texas already has installed 2,631 megawatts of wind energy alone, and Gov. Rick Perry continues to invest in wind energy, announcing in October an additional $10 billion investment.
• Iowa developed loans, grants, rebates and tax incentives that have helped the state harness its renewable energy potential. These policies turned Iowa from a net-importer of energy to a net energy exporter.
“The case could not be clearer: Ohio's leaders should come together now and set a goal for Ohio to get at least 10% of its energy from wind within the next decade. Continuing to delay a transition to clean, homegrown wind energy will leave Ohio facing an even greater uphill battle in the effort to be a competitive state,” said Bowser.
The renewable energy industry is growing today, and Ohio's leaders should make it a priority to attract those new businesses and jobs to Ohio. Rather than continuing to spend billions of dollars on importing unstable fossil fuels, Ohio should keep these dollars in state, and harness our own clean, renewable energy.
We have significant wind resources, the technological know-how and manufacturing base to make Ohio a global leader in production of renewable energy technologies.
