Greater Ohio reports that it added staff to "monitor and present to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio as it develops rules to implement" a renewable portfolio standard. The group also reports that it played a role in upcoming legislation that deals with the siting of renewable energy generation, such as wind turbines:

Ohio has now joined 26 other states in enacting a renewable portfolio standard, or in layman’s terms, requiring publicly owned utilities serving Ohio to generate 12.5% of their electricity from renewable resources by 2025, with the signing of SB 221 last week by Governor Strickland. There is a fair of amount of euphoria by various groups about this legislation. That may not be warranted. The legislation also contains a provision that Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) may set this standard aside if the utilities believe this will lead to a cost increase of more than 3%. In consultation with various other “gray beards” who have seen much utility law come and go this 3% cap is viewed as the crucial bottleneck to renewable energy. To quote from a Plain Dealer article regarding renewable energy requirements in this legislation, “But that victory is diluted by language demanded by the Senate allowing the PUCO to give a utility a pass on the benchmarks and a pass on the goal itself if the wind farms and solar fields push up overall rates by more than 3 percent. The bill's language on this topic is murky, and the PUCO will be the final arbiter. “

Greater Ohio has been actively educating on renewable energy issues. We will continue now to monitor and present to the PUCO as it develops rules to implement and have indeed brought on new staff for that purpose. Greater Ohio has previously been and will also continue to be active in the issues surrounding the siting of renewable energy generation, such as wind turbines. Legislation on that is expected to be drafted in the coming months. Please follow this topic and inform your elected officials about your views.

Greater Ohio urges you to access the two links below to view the General Assembly debate on this bill. In particular, pay attention to the comments in the Senate about process on this issue. Process drives policy.

House debate video on this is currently unavailable due to technical problems at the Statehouse but here is the link to the video so you may view it at another time. SB221 is the first thing on the docket http://www.ohiochannel.org/multimedia/media.cfm?file_id=112900& .

To watch the Senate debate the bill please go to
http://www.ohiochannel.org/multimedia/media.cfm?file_id=112922& SB221 comes up at about the 13 minute mark.

Also, addressing concerns that Ohio passed an Advanced Energy Portfolio Standard with a loophole for utilities—a cap not to exceed 3% cost to acquire or produce renewable energy—Jack Shaner, Ohio Environmental Council Director of Public Affairs, writes:

"Be assured that we will go all out in the upcoming rule-making process at the PUCO to make sure that the rules enable the development of renewable energy in Ohio—and faithful application of the energy efficiency standard—while limiting as much as possible any new nuclear power projects as well as any new regressive coal projects that do not include the most advanced technologies for gasification and carbon capture and storage.

The OEC will be an official intervenor in the rule-making docket at the PUCO and we already are lining up expert witnesses and special legal counsel to assist us in this effort. This will be an intense, high-stakes effort."