For immediate release
Contact: Erin Bowser, 614-314-1863
More than 50 business leaders, renewable energy experts, religious leaders and
citizens will meet in Columbus on Tuesday,
February 5th and Wednesday, February 6th to urge Ohio’s leaders to
strengthen the renewable energy standard in Sub Senate Bill 221.
“At the same time that Ohio
slides deeper into a recession there is increasing support for a strong energy
policy that will make Ohio a more attractive
state for the booming renewable energy industry that could create more Ohio jobs,” said Erin
Bowser, Environment Ohio Director. “From
business leaders who see the potential for job and economic growth to
landowners who are already benefitting from leasing their land for wind
development, Ohioans are seeking improvements to Sub Senate Bill 221.”
At the meetings with Ohio’s
legislative and executive leaders on Tuesday and Wednesday clean energy
proponents will urge Ohio’s
leaders to improve the renewable energy standard in Sub Senate Bill 221 by:
- Including language that specifically directs
the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio
to ENFORCE the renewable energy requirement from day one. At the last minute the Ohio Senate weakened
the legislation by including language that precludes the PUCO from enforcing
the standard UNTIL 2025. Without
enforcement authority the PUCO would not be able to actively and consistently
ensure that all of Ohio’s
utilities are on track with meeting the requirements of the standard.
- Including language that specifically outlines
annual benchmarks for meeting the requirements of the standard. Out of 26 renewable energy standards nationwide,
25 include specific benchmarks.
Benchmarks are one key way to ensure that utilities are on track with
meeting the requirements of a standard in the near-term. Without them, utilities could wait for years
before even beginning to provide renewable energy. Additionally, in order to reap the economic
benefit of attracting new renewable energy manufacturers and developers to the
state these businesses need the assurance that there will be a market for their
product in the near-term. Without this
guarantee, businesses are likely to set-up-shop in neighboring states that have
strong policies that ensure immediate development.
- Including language that specifically directs
how the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio
shall hold utilities accountable for not complying with the requirements of a
renewable energy standard. Simply
put, an enforcement mechanism needs to be in place in order to make it more
attractive for Ohio’s
utilities to comply with the standard than to not comply with it. Payments for non-compliance that are more
costly than purchasing renewable energy credits and using the funds collected
to advance renewable energy development in the state is one example of an
enforcement mechanism available to the PUCO.
- Including language that improves the energy
efficiency standard in Sub Senate Bill 221.
Energy efficiency coupled with renewable energy development are Ohio’s least-cost future
energy options. We urge Ohio’s leaders to improve the energy efficiency standard
such that Ohio
experiences a 20 percent reduction in sales of electricity between the
enactment of legislation and 2025.
Currently, the energy efficiency standard in Sub Senate Bill 221 would
only result in a 5 percent reduction. Additionally, we are urging Ohio’s leaders to keep
the energy efficiency and renewable energy standards SEPARATE (which means
setting a standard for each with individual requirements and timelines) so that
we may reap the economic and environmental benefits of both resources.
Below is a partial list of Ohio businesses and other interested parties
who will be participating in our two-day “lobby day” as well as legislative
reception. Many of these representatives will be
available for comment by contacting Erin Bowser at 614-314-1863.
Clean Energy Attendees:
Honeywell - (wind turbine lighting manufacturer, Urbana Ohio)
Owens-Corning -
(wind turbine composite materials, Toledo,
Ohio)
Web Core Technologies - (wind turbine component parts manufacturers, Dayton, Ohio)
EMTECH – (advanced energy assistance organization, Dayton, Ohio)
Xunlight (solar panel manufacturer, Toledo, Ohio)
Magna Machine (wind turbine component part manufacturer, Cincinnati, Ohio)
JW Great Lakes Wind - (wind energy developer)
Babcock & Brown - (wind energy developer)
Invenergy, LLC - (wind energy developer)
Dovetail Solar & Wind - (solar and wind developer)
Ohio Interfaith Power and Light - (faith-based clean energy
coalition)
Ohio Advanced Energy Group - (advanced energy business
coalition)
American Wind Energy Association – (Washington, DC based wind advocacy organization)
Dr. Sharell Mikesell, The Ohio State University’s Center for
Multifunctional Polymer Nanomaterials & Devices
Richard Stuebi, The Cleveland
Foundation
