HB 450 would provide access to affordably priced solar power to consumers and small businesses. It does so by removing red tape to open a new market that will attract investment, create jobs, drive innovation, and support a stronger and more resilient grid. It achieves this by allowing community solar systems to be built in Ohio.
The world is undergoing a massive transition in how it generates, transports, manages and delivers electricity to homes, neighborhoods, and businesses. Consider that in 2015, global capacity for renewable energy surpassed that of coal for the first time ever in human history. About half a million solar panels were installed every day around the world in 2015. In 2015, China was installing two wind turbines every hour and continued that growth in 2016 to the tune of one turbine installation per hour.
Columbus, OH -- Today, the Ohio Environmental Council Action Fund announced a statewide ad buy calling on members of the Ohio General Assembly to reject two proposals that would grant subsidies for power plants in Ohio, Indiana, and Pennsylvania.
Chairman Jordan, Vice Chair O’Brien, and Members of the Ohio Senate Finance - General Government and Agency Review Subcommittee, my name is Sarah Spence, Director of Government Affairs for the Ohio Environmental Council Action Fund (OECAF). Thank for the opportunity to speak to the committee today on substitute HB 49.
Chairman Seitz, Vice Chair Carfagna, and Ranking Member Ashford; I am Trish Demeter, Managing Director of Energy Programs for the Ohio Environmental Council (OEC) Action Fund. Thank you for inviting testimony on Ohio House Bill 178 (DeVitis), which would create a create a Zero Emission Nuclear (ZEN) program for the state of Ohio. The OEC Action Fund is opposed to this legislation, as it would diminish customers’ ability to experience the benefits of energy efficiency and distributed energy resources on their monthly electric bill, and would incur costs on customers without yielding any additional environmental benefit for Ohioans.
Ohio Senate Bill 320 & Ohio House bill 554 holds Ohio back, increases electric bills, and puts Ohioans’ health at risk. When Ohio Senate Bill 310 was enacted in June 2014, the idea behind the two-year “freeze” on Ohio’s renewable portfolio standard (RPS), and energy efficiency resource standard (EERS) was to study the standards costs and benefits, and to craft a sound energy policy for the state of Ohio.
A bill being rushed through the Ohio Legislature during the lame duck session could cause residential and small business electric bills to skyrocket. Senate Bill 320 and House Bill 554 will reduce cost effective energy efficiency targets, and allow special rate exemptions for big corporations, resulting in untold rate increases.
