A controversial bill that will freeze Ohio's renewable energy and efficiency standards for at least two years continues to await Gov. John Kasich's signature.
While state Rep. Debbie Phillips, D-Albany, has slammed the legislation, her Republican opponent in November's election, Yolan Dennis, has expressed support for a temporary freeze, but not a permanent one.
With a deadline for signing the legislation this Saturday, Kasich spokesperson Rob Nichols indicated over the weekend that the legislation will get the governor's signature but a signing day had not yet been set.
The bill would put on hold a law passed in 2008 requiring annual industry upgrades in customer energy efficiency, and also creating rules meant to grow the use of renewable energy.
Some heavy industries such as Timken and Alcoa are in favor of the freeze, while others such as Honda and Whirlpool opposed the legislation and have urged Kasich to veto it. Various environmental groups, as well as the Ohio Manufacturers' Association, also have fought the bill.
The Ohio House voted 55-42 to approve the legislation, while the Ohio Senate quickly followed with a concurrence vote of 21-11. In a release following the vote, Rep. Phillips noted that the bill makes Ohio the first state in the nation to reverse Renewable Portfolio Standards.
"Taking Ohio backwards would be wrong in several ways," Phillips said.
"First, S.B. 310 has the potential to raise rates for customers; second, it would hurt a fast-growing industry in Ohio; and finally, it would move us in the wrong direction in terms of addressing climate change."
Overall, she said, freezing the state's advanced energy standards could undercut $6 billion in potential capital investment in Ohio.
"We have some great local businesses in the renewable energy sector and excellent local nonprofit work underway promoting home weatherization," Phillips said.
"I would hate to see us lose ground, and so I call on Gov. Kasich to veto this bad bill." Since the 2008 RPS legislation, Phillips said, the energy standards have created thousands of jobs while saving Ohio ratepayers more than $1 billion with another $4 billion in projected savings over the next 10 years.
Her opponent, Dennis, of Fleming, said in an email last week that bringing forward the temporary freeze "is not an unreasonable step."
"I would not be in favor of a permanent freeze, as I believe we should continue to pursue alternative resources," she said. "However, solar, wind and other alternative sources are not yet cost effective or reliable."
She questioned how someone already struggling to pay utility bills would be able to afford the cost of mandated alternative energy.
"This bill will not force people to buy forms of energy that are too costly," she said. "Fossil fuels are efficient, cost effective, and abundant. Last winter, all coal-fired power plants were running at full capacity to provide heat and electricity.
We should not move too quickly to rid ourselves of this reliable energy. The reality is, the economy in southeast Ohio is still too fragile to absorb increased energy costs."
Ohio Rep. Ron Hood, R-Ashville, who represents the 78th district that includes Athens County's Trimble Township, had not responded to requests for comment on his support of the legislation as of Wednesday. Ohio Sen. Lou Gentile, D-Steubenville, who represents the majority of Athens County in the 30th district, spoke out against the energy policy freeze on Wednesday.
"I'm concerned that putting a freeze on will result in high costs for consumers, and it's a signal to the market that Ohio is no longer interestested in new investments in alternative and advanced energy," he said. "All around, I think it's a bad idea and a bad policy approach."
State Sen. Troy Balderson, R-Zanesville, whose 20th district includes Trimble Township, sponsored the legislation and has emphasized that the two-year freeze will allow time to evaluate the standards' impact on costs.
He was said to be unavailable for comment Wednesday but has been quoted on this issue in the past. Responding to an ad from green business coalition group, Advanced Energy Economy Ohio, alleging that the legislation would send Ohio back to its Rust Belt status, Balderson said, according to the Plain Dealer, "I'm not going to turn anything into a Rust Belt in two years' time.The numbers are going to stay the same."
He's said he's responding to concerns from constituents about increasing electricity bills and the impact of these standards on that situation. Balderson has said his bill will allow time to evaluate the state's energy policy.
Former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, a Democrat who signed the 2008 standards into law, slammed the legislation in a phone conversation last week.
"This is a bill that passed with only one dissenting vote, and it's been working," he said referring to the 2008 legislation.
"Investments have been made. Jobs have been created. There is no need for a study, but even if they want to do a study, there is no need to freeze these standards in the meantime."
Strickland said that he fears that with the atmosphere as it is in the Ohio Statehouse, the benchmarks for renewable energy could be abandoned entirely two years from now.
"This is just an effort to kill it, and the governor's pretense that he's worked out a compromise is deceptive," he said.
"He knows that as long as this Legislature is in place, as long as these district lines are drawn the way they are, they will never bring these standards back into place. It's a sad day for our state that this has happened."
Kasich's Democratic opponent this November, Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald, has been holding a countdown on social media encouraging Kasich to veto the bill.
"In signing this bill, Gov. Kasich will align himself with the Koch Brothers and the wealthy and well connected - and against working Ohioans," he said, citing the Koch-backed group Americans for Prosperity's support of the bill.
"As governor, I will work to make Ohio a national energy leader, rather than make headlines for trapping Ohio in the Rust Belt."
Athens County Commissioner Chris Chmiel, who dedicates a lot of his time toward energy-efficiency improvements in the county, said Wednesday that he finds the legislation baffling.
"To me, if you're not promoting energy efficiency, you're promoting waste," he said.
"Regardless of S.B. 310, there are going to be efforts to work toward energy efficiency but we're going to waste billions of dollars being inefficient, and it's going to stop promoting innovation."
athensnews.com
While state Rep. Debbie Phillips, D-Albany, has slammed the legislation, her Republican opponent in November's election, Yolan Dennis, has expressed support for a temporary freeze, but not a permanent one.
With a deadline for signing the legislation this Saturday, Kasich spokesperson Rob Nichols indicated over the weekend that the legislation will get the governor's signature but a signing day had not yet been set.
The bill would put on hold a law passed in 2008 requiring annual industry upgrades in customer energy efficiency, and also creating rules meant to grow the use of renewable energy.
Some heavy industries such as Timken and Alcoa are in favor of the freeze, while others such as Honda and Whirlpool opposed the legislation and have urged Kasich to veto it. Various environmental groups, as well as the Ohio Manufacturers' Association, also have fought the bill.
The Ohio House voted 55-42 to approve the legislation, while the Ohio Senate quickly followed with a concurrence vote of 21-11. In a release following the vote, Rep. Phillips noted that the bill makes Ohio the first state in the nation to reverse Renewable Portfolio Standards.
"Taking Ohio backwards would be wrong in several ways," Phillips said.
"First, S.B. 310 has the potential to raise rates for customers; second, it would hurt a fast-growing industry in Ohio; and finally, it would move us in the wrong direction in terms of addressing climate change."
Overall, she said, freezing the state's advanced energy standards could undercut $6 billion in potential capital investment in Ohio.
"We have some great local businesses in the renewable energy sector and excellent local nonprofit work underway promoting home weatherization," Phillips said.
"I would hate to see us lose ground, and so I call on Gov. Kasich to veto this bad bill." Since the 2008 RPS legislation, Phillips said, the energy standards have created thousands of jobs while saving Ohio ratepayers more than $1 billion with another $4 billion in projected savings over the next 10 years.
Her opponent, Dennis, of Fleming, said in an email last week that bringing forward the temporary freeze "is not an unreasonable step."
"I would not be in favor of a permanent freeze, as I believe we should continue to pursue alternative resources," she said. "However, solar, wind and other alternative sources are not yet cost effective or reliable."
She questioned how someone already struggling to pay utility bills would be able to afford the cost of mandated alternative energy.
"This bill will not force people to buy forms of energy that are too costly," she said. "Fossil fuels are efficient, cost effective, and abundant. Last winter, all coal-fired power plants were running at full capacity to provide heat and electricity.
We should not move too quickly to rid ourselves of this reliable energy. The reality is, the economy in southeast Ohio is still too fragile to absorb increased energy costs."
Ohio Rep. Ron Hood, R-Ashville, who represents the 78th district that includes Athens County's Trimble Township, had not responded to requests for comment on his support of the legislation as of Wednesday. Ohio Sen. Lou Gentile, D-Steubenville, who represents the majority of Athens County in the 30th district, spoke out against the energy policy freeze on Wednesday.
"I'm concerned that putting a freeze on will result in high costs for consumers, and it's a signal to the market that Ohio is no longer interestested in new investments in alternative and advanced energy," he said. "All around, I think it's a bad idea and a bad policy approach."
State Sen. Troy Balderson, R-Zanesville, whose 20th district includes Trimble Township, sponsored the legislation and has emphasized that the two-year freeze will allow time to evaluate the standards' impact on costs.
He was said to be unavailable for comment Wednesday but has been quoted on this issue in the past. Responding to an ad from green business coalition group, Advanced Energy Economy Ohio, alleging that the legislation would send Ohio back to its Rust Belt status, Balderson said, according to the Plain Dealer, "I'm not going to turn anything into a Rust Belt in two years' time.The numbers are going to stay the same."
He's said he's responding to concerns from constituents about increasing electricity bills and the impact of these standards on that situation. Balderson has said his bill will allow time to evaluate the state's energy policy.
Former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, a Democrat who signed the 2008 standards into law, slammed the legislation in a phone conversation last week.
"This is a bill that passed with only one dissenting vote, and it's been working," he said referring to the 2008 legislation.
"Investments have been made. Jobs have been created. There is no need for a study, but even if they want to do a study, there is no need to freeze these standards in the meantime."
Strickland said that he fears that with the atmosphere as it is in the Ohio Statehouse, the benchmarks for renewable energy could be abandoned entirely two years from now.
"This is just an effort to kill it, and the governor's pretense that he's worked out a compromise is deceptive," he said.
"He knows that as long as this Legislature is in place, as long as these district lines are drawn the way they are, they will never bring these standards back into place. It's a sad day for our state that this has happened."
Kasich's Democratic opponent this November, Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald, has been holding a countdown on social media encouraging Kasich to veto the bill.
"In signing this bill, Gov. Kasich will align himself with the Koch Brothers and the wealthy and well connected - and against working Ohioans," he said, citing the Koch-backed group Americans for Prosperity's support of the bill.
"As governor, I will work to make Ohio a national energy leader, rather than make headlines for trapping Ohio in the Rust Belt."
Athens County Commissioner Chris Chmiel, who dedicates a lot of his time toward energy-efficiency improvements in the county, said Wednesday that he finds the legislation baffling.
"To me, if you're not promoting energy efficiency, you're promoting waste," he said.
"Regardless of S.B. 310, there are going to be efforts to work toward energy efficiency but we're going to waste billions of dollars being inefficient, and it's going to stop promoting innovation."
athensnews.com
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