The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) expressed concern as the
Ohio legislature took a major backwards step in its commitment to clean
energy by passing House Bill 6 today. AWEA issued the following
statement from Andrew Gohn, Director, Eastern State Policy, AWEA:
“Ohio consumers and manufacturers want greater commitment to renewable
energy, not less. Yet, while many states are expanding access to cleaner
sources of energy, Ohio’s legislature has chosen to take a costly step
backward by weakening the state’s renewable portfolio standard,” said Andrew Gohn, Director, Eastern State Policy, AWEA.
“House Bill 6 won’t make Ohio’s air cleaner, but it will hike consumer
electric bills and send both jobs and clean energy investment to Ohio’s
neighbors.”
House Bill 6 shrinks Ohio’s Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard (AEPS)
goal 12.5 percent to 8.5 percent. It would zero out the AEPS entirely
after 2026. The bill also exempts industrial users equivalent to about
20 percent of Ohio load, meaning the real 2026 goal would effectively be
further reduced to about 6.8 percent.
House Bill 6 is another significant setback for Ohio’s clean energy
market, on top of restrictive zoning provisions on wind turbines that
were inserted at the last minute into the 2014 Ohio budget legislation.
Among the most restrictive in the nation, Ohio’s wind farm setback
restrictions have impeded wind energy development for the last five
years. As a result, Ohio has fallen behind its neighbors, losing out on
billions of dollars in private investment and well-paying blue-collar
jobs.
