Apr 28 2008

Ohio: the New Green State

Posted by: Keely Wachs

Last Friday Ohio announced that its state senate passed legislation mandating a renewable portfolio standard (RPS). The bill, awaiting Governor Strickland's signature, mandates that 12.5% of the Ohio's electricity must come from renewable sources by 2025.

Ohio is now the 26th state in the U.S. to enact a RPS.

In contrast to California's 20% by 2010 RPS goal, this may seem like a fairly weak mandate, but it requires context. Ohio gets 87% of its power from coal. Moreover, the state is a major producer of coal, meaning that a move to renewables could have a broader economic impact.

Ohio's political leaders deserve credit for moving this bill forward in the face of some very tough odds. They also should get recognition for focusing on energy efficiency by setting a goal to reduce energy usage by 22% by 2025.

Energy efficiency benefits the environment and puts dollars immediately in the pockets of energy consumers. It's the quickest and most cost effective way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Environmental groups hailed the bill as a way to reap the environmental and economic benefits of diversifying Ohio's electricity mix with homegrown wind and solar resources. 

Apparently, the state has substantial wind resources along the glacial ridges of central Ohio, across the farmlands of northwest Ohio, as well as on and off the shores of Lake Erie. Within the next decade, say some environmental groups, Ohio could generate at least 10% of its electricity from wind power alone.

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