COLUMBUS — “Ohio has a big coal industry, but also has a lot of land for wind energy development. And state officials seems to be floating in the middle as far as energy policy goes. The energy issue pulled the state in two different directions.
Two of the state’s biggest electric utilities started the year by introducing a new term – ‘Power Purchase Agreements’. They were a big deal to a lot of energy industry insiders, but soared over the heads of any typical ratepayer. That was, until opponents started calling them “coal plant bailouts”, and noting that those agreements included fees added to electric bills that would help fund struggling coal plants that were not performing well in the energy market.
…All year, the clock was ticking for state legislators to figure out what they wanted to do with the state’s green energy mandates. 2016 was the last year for a freeze on the requirements on utilities to increase their use of renewable energy. If lawmakers did nothing, those benchmarks would be reinstated. Many Republicans have called those standards “mandates”, and favor goals instead.
At the last minute, a bill was passed to pause the requirement of those standards for two years. Democrats didn’t like the bill and even some Republicans were opposed. Republican Senator Cliff Hite of Findlay said it closes Ohio off to green energy development.”
— Andy Chow, Statehouse News Bureau
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