Ohio wind farm development has stalled with the two-year freeze on rules requiring power companies to provide more green power every year. Lawmakers have now decided to make the mandates voluntary for another two years. Gov. John Kasich has threatened to veto the bill. (Plain Dealer file photo)
COLUMBUS — “The fate of Ohio’s green energy mandates over the next two years is now in the hands of Gov. John Kasich.
Ohio lawmakers ignored threats of the governor’s veto and approved a bill overnight that would allow power companies to ignore the rules for the next two years requiring them to provide customers with increasing percentages of green energy.
The mandates have been frozen for two years at 2014 levels, and opponents have argued that now making compliance voluntary for another two years will have the same impact on green development as another freeze. It will slow it down.
The legislation, which was one of the last bills approved by the lame duck Senate and House, does increase the green percentage required from 2.5 percent now to 7.5 percent by 2021.
But state regulators won’t be able to check for the first two years. And utilities won’t have to contract for more green power — or even build their own — during the two years.”
— John Funk, Cleveland Plain Dealer
link to full article
