SUGAR CREEK TWP. —”The sun shined brightly inside the hearts and minds of roughly 100 people who came together at The Wilderness Center on Saturday.
‘It’s an opportunity for the solar community to talk and discuss the basics and … delve a little deeper on some subjects,’ explained Luke Sulfridge, Ohio director of Solar United Neighbors, which helped organize the second annual Ohio Solar Congress.
One hot topic was the status of Ohio House Bill 114, which was passed by the House and now resides in the Senate.
According to information from Solar United Neighbors, Ohio lawmakers passed a law in 2014 that froze the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard, which required utilities to get 12.5 percent of their energy from renewable sources by 2025.
Solar advocates say House Bill 114 would be another step backward. They say it would ultimately reduce the percentage of solar, wind or other renewable sources generated by Ohio utilities or make the RPS voluntary — and ineffective.
‘This is the issue (to rally around),’ Rachael Belz, executive director of Ohio Citizen Action, a grassroots organizing and mobilization group, told the crowd.
She and other presenters asked those on hand to lobby and contact state legislators in opposition of the bill.”
— Tim Botos, Canton Repository
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