From the 6/27/07 Bellefontaine Examiner:

 

Jefferson zoning amendment blocked for now

By Joel E. Mast

Bellefontaine Examiner Staff Writer

06/27/07

 

A push to overturn a commission’s recommendation against a citizen-initiated wind turbine zoning amendment was scuttled Tuesday by Jefferson Township Trustee Paul Blair’s emphatic, “No.”  His vote prompted applause from landowners who would like to explore the possibility of erecting wind turbines. The applause drowned out the “yes” votes of trustees Mark Conoyer and Tim Tillman.  It was one of several spontaneous outbursts by both proponents and opponents of wind turbines during the meeting.

 

Mr. Conoyer had proposed rejecting the recommendation of the township’s zoning commission and adopting an amendment proposed by www.savewesternoh.org, an organization fighting to keep wind turbines out of Logan and Champaign counties.  Mr. Conoyer proposed raising the maximum height from 200 feet to 300 feet and trimming the setbacks from property lines, buildings and road rights of way.

 

Savewesternoh.org believes large wind turbines will destroy the quality of life, lower property values, harm wildlife and cause health problems for some residents.  Proponents, who are predominately farmers, view wind turbines as another source of revenue and a compatible enterprise with their livelihoods.  They and a commission of the Logan-Union-Champaign Regional Planning Commission believe the amendment would effectively ban wind turbines.

 

Full article at http://www.examiner.org/news06.27.2.php

 

From the 6/28/07 Urbana Daily Citizen:

 

Decision on wind power cases will be July 6

BREANNE PARCELS

Staff Writer

 

Judge Roger Wilson said he will issue a decision no later than Friday, July 6, in two appeals cases filed against the Union Township Board of Zoning Appeals, two property owners and two wind power companies in Champaign County Common Pleas Court.

 

Attorney Lauren Ross, representing Robert McConnell, Diane McConnell and Julie Ann Johnson, argued in an oral hearing Wednesday afternoon that the conditional use permits the BZA granted to install wind test towers were "unlawful."

 

"This whole effort by Invenergy and Everpower has been under the radar," she alleged.  The BZA granted a conditional use permit to Everpower on May 14 and a conditional use permit to Invenergy on June 12.

 

Full article at http://www.urbanacitizen.com/main.asp?SectionID=3&SubSectionID=5&ArticleID=144345&TM=62416.7

 

From the 7/6/07 Marysville Journal-Tribune:

 

Wind farms not planned

Other counties in area have better conditions

By MAC CORDELL

 

The immense silhouette of rotating propellors could soon define the skyline of northwestern Ohio.  Unlike the quaint windmills that dot the landscape of our fairy tales, these newer, sleeker wind turbines stand nearly 400 feet tall, and occupy very little ground space.

 

Already a staple of the western United States, talk is mounting about construction of several of the utility-grade wind turbines in Logan and Champaign Counties.  Earlier this year, Dennis Elliott, principal research scientist at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, released a statement indicating that many portions of Ohio were windier than previously believed, causing utility companies to take another look at the Buckeye State.

 

More at http://www.marysvillejt.com/web/index.php

From the 7/7/07 Springfield News-Sun:

 

Judge rules wind test towers can stay

By Rick Rouan

Staff Writer

Friday, July 06, 2007

 

URBANA — Two wind test towers built in Champaign County this year can stay up for now after a decision Friday in a case filed by neighbors of one of the towers.  Champaign County Common Pleas Judge Roger Wilson Friday ruled that the towers, on Talbot and Ault roads, can stay up while the permits that allowed them to be built are appealed.  Wilson Friday also declined to grant motions from two power companies' attorneys to dismiss the case.

 

Champaign County residents Bob and Diane McConnell appealed to Wilson's court the decision by the Union Twp. Zoning Commission to allow New York-based wind energy developer Everpower to build a wind test tower on property adjacent to the McConnells' Ault Road land.  They also appealed a permit for construction of a test tower near Talbot Road by Chicago-based Invenergy.

 

Full article at http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/news/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/07/06/sns070707decision.html

 

From the 7/10/07 Springfield News-Sun:

 

Turbine proposal breezes into Ohio

Generally, land is leased for about $4,000-$6,000 a year, and farmers later share in royalties.

By Rick Rouan

Staff Writer

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

 

REYNOLDSBURG — The common misconception about wind turbines revolves around the public's image of San Diego Wind Farms with hundreds of turbines spinning quickly.  But the reality for Ohio is that the turbines most likely would be built in sets of 10, Dale Arnold, director of Energy Services for the Ohio Farm Bureau, said Monday.

 

Arnold and other state and local officials met at the Ohio Department of Agriculture to discuss the relationship between farmland preservation and construction of wind turbines.  There's currently a proposal to build turbines in three townships in eastern Champaign County.

 

During the meeting, Arnold outlined key points related to the environmental, economic and aesthetic effects of the energy-generating turbines.  He also shed light on what contracts between wind energy companies and land owners generally contain, a topic of interest for a Champaign County couple trying to slow the wind-testing and turbine-construction processes near their home.

 

Full article at http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/news/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/07/09/sns071007turbines.html

 

From the 7/17/07 Bellefontaine Examiner:

 

Citizens’ wind turbine zoning amendment now law in Rushcreek Township

By Joel E. Mast

Bellefontaine Examiner Staff Writer

07/17/07

 

A recommendation to accept a citizen-initiated wind turbine zoning amendment carried Monday with Rushcreek Township Trustee Marlyn Kelly voting contrary to his fellow trustees.  Mr. Kelly opposed a motion by Gary Downing to reject the Rushcreek Township Zoning Commission recommendation to adopt the amendment.  “Gary’s (Downing) looking for a yes vote?” Mr. Kelly asked. “Well then, I vote no.  “We’ve got five people who voted 5-0 in support of the amendment and I respect their vote.”

 

The vote came after two hours of public comment.  About 60 people attended the meeting.  Mr. Downing said he believed the township’s current height restrictions of nothing more than 50 feet tall would be enough to protect the township until a committee studying the issue could develop zoning guidelines. 

 

Mr. Downing and Harold Mobley feel the proposed amendment with its aesthetic and health concerns goes too far and may not stand up in court.  Mr. Downing also was concerned about going against the recommendation of the Logan-Union-Champaign Regional Planning Commission and rushing ahead before the township received guidance from Logan County Prosecutor Gerald Heaton.

 

Full article at http://www.examiner.org/news07.17.2.php

 

From the 7/18/07 Springfield News-Sun:

 

Trustees reject turbine restrictions

A group of residents in Union Twp. had sought limits on height, setback.

By Natalie Morales

Staff Writer

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

 

MUTUAL — Residents wanting restrictions on turbine construction will have to make another proposal after the Union Twp. trustees rejected a proposal Tuesday.  Trustees Howard Peters and Jim Virts voted in sync with previous votes of the Union Twp. Zoning Commission and the Logan-Union-Champaign Regional Planning Commission earlier this year, both of which also rejected the same proposal for required setback distance for being "too restrictive."

 

Trustee Douglas Hurst recused himself from the discussion and vote because of a possible implied conflict of interest by his position on the board of Pioneer Rural Electric Cooperative.  The proposal, originally submitted to the township zoning commission by Union Neighbors United, suggested regulating wind turbines to a minimum of 2,600 feet from a residence or property line, Virts said.  It also restricted the tower height to 360 feet.

 

Full article at http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/news/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/07/17/sns071807wind.html

 

Green, biz groups call for renewable energy policy

August 23, 2007 | CINCINNATI BUSINESS COURIER

 

A heightened commitment to wind power in Ohio could create more than 3,000 jobs, boost the state's economic output, generate more property taxes for county governments and help rural landowners, says a report released Thursday by an environmental advocacy group.  To achieve all that, Environment Ohio wants state lawmakers to adopt a policy that would require Ohio's electricity mix to include at least 20 percent renewable energy by 2020, said Amy Gomberg, an advocate with the Columbus-based group that published the report.

 

Environment Ohio wants that renewable energy provision to be part of an energy policy expected to be hashed out in the General Assembly this fall.  The issue is coming to a head because Ohio's electricity rate stabilization plans for investor-owned utilities will expire at the end of 2008, moving the state to a fully deregulated market for electricity rates.  Power users are raising warning flags that electric rates will soar under full deregulation.

Article published August 26, 2007

 

Strickland plan could 'green' Ohio

He sees role in renewable energy technology

By JIM PROVANCE

BLADE COLUMBUS BUREAU

 

COLUMBUS - Gov. Ted Strickland doesn't like the word "quota," but he said the proposal that he plans to put before lawmakers as soon as this week should help make Ohio a player in renewable energy technology.  Environmental groups raise their eyebrows, though, when talk of setting enforceable "benchmarks" for utilities to go "green" is accompanied by talk of an "advanced energy portfolio" that encompasses cleaner-coal - and nuclear technology.

 

"I want my plan to be a comprehensive approach," Mr. Strickland said. "It will deal with rates. It will deal with an advanced energy portfolio. It will deal with efficiency. There's no question in my mind that an emphasis on advanced energy will result in jobs being created and new industries being developed."

 

Environmental groups have called for a minimum standard requiring utilities to find 20 percent of their power from renewable sources by 2020.  They count wind, solar, low-impact hydroelectric, and landfill gases in that mix.

 

Full article at http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070826/NEWS24/708260345/-1/NEWS

Governor urges utility reforms, backs alternative power

Posted by John Funk

August 29, 2007 - 3:54PM

 

Columbus -- Gov. Ted Strickland today announced a sweeping reform of Ohio's utility regulations and a broad endorsement of alternative power generation.  "This is not a plan for utilities, not a plan for manufacturers," Strickland said in the atrium of Ohio's historic statehouse. "It's a plan for Ohio, a plan to protect existing jobs and attract new jobs."

 

The governor proposed to restructure how Ohio sets retail electric rates. "There is broad consensus that deregulation has failed to deliver an efficient, competitive market that can meet the needs of Ohio's economy in an affordable, reliable and sustainable manner," Strickland said.

 

But Strickland is not turning his back entirely on the market-based approach.  His plan would empower the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to determine when a utility can base its retail rates on wholesale market prices.  Retail deregulation has not worked because wholesale markets have not sufficiently developed - there aren't enough wholesale competitors to force prices down.

 

Full article at http://blog.cleveland.com/business/2007/08/governor_urges_utility_reforms.html

State promising grants of $5M for Ohio wind farms

August 31, 2007 | COLUMBUS BUSINESS FIRST

 

COLUMBUS - The state is putting its money where its mouth is on promoting alternative energy by making $5 million in grants available to two upcoming wind energy projects.  Gov. Ted Strickland said the state is awarding up to $3 million to a proposed wind farm near the borders of Union and Madison counties and up to $2 million for another project in Wood County.  The announcement comes two days after Strickland unveiled his Energy, Jobs and Progress for Ohio plan, which aims to make about 13 percent of all electricity sold in Ohio generated by renewable sources such as wind, solar and geothermal methods by 2025. 

 

Grant funding for both projects will be based on how much energy the wind farms generate. Both wind farms will receive 1 cent per kilowatt-hour for electricity generated, a rate that goes up to 1.2 cents if the projects contain Ohio-made components.  Payments from the state will continue for five years or until the maximum amount is reached.  Funding comes from the Ohio Department of Development's Ohio Wind Production and Manufacturing Incentive Program, created in 1999 and reauthorized in early 2007.

 

The Buckeye Wind Project will have sites in Champaign and Logan counties. Developed by New York-based EverPower Renewables Inc., the 100,000-kilowatt farm could meet the electricity needs for about 300,000 homes, the state said.  The 49,500-kilowatt Wood County Wind Farm, developed by Cleveland-based JW Great Lakes Wind LLC, could support about 15,000 homes.  The state estimated both projects would be up and running by June 30, 2009.

Clark County prepares for wind turbines

By Diane Erwin, Staff Writer

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

 

No wind turbines are proposed for Clark County, but they could be, Planning Director Shane Farnsworth told the local rural zoning commission on Wednesday.  That's why he gave the group a presentation on wind turbines and why Clark County could be affected.  He gave a similar presentation to the planning commission last week.

 

Northeastern Clark County, including Pleasant and Harmony townships, have the greatest chance of seeing a turbine proposal because of a ridge of ideal wind speeds, he said.  The ridge also runs through Champaign and Logan counties, where wind studies for the proposed Buckeye Wind Project — set for completion in mid-2009 — already are underway.  Farnsworth said the groups should be prepared for possible proposals in Clark County. 

 

Full article at http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/hp/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/09/12/sns091307wind.html

Wind power projects get $3 million

Ohio awards grants for work in Champaign and Logan counties; goal is for operation by June 30, 2009.

By Natalie Morales, Staff Writer

Friday, August 31, 2007

 

Wind energy projects headed for Champaign and Logan counties will get up to $3 million in grant awards to move forward with production, Gov. Ted Strickland announced Thursday.  EverPower Renewables, a New-York-based developer of wind energy products, was awarded the funding for the multimillion dollar Buckeye Wind project that will run through both counties.

 

The project, which slates wind turbines to be constructed through Union and Wayne townships, is estimated to generate enough electricity to meet the needs of about 30,000 homes, according to Strickland's office.  "The production incentive grant is something that represents an investment in the future and will pay dividends well into the future," EverPower Vice President Kevin Sheen said.

 

Strickland also awarded a grant for up to $2 million to Cleveland-based JW Great Lakes Wind's wind farm project in Wood County.  The funding is part of the Ohio Wind Production and Manufacturing Incentive Program through the state Department of Development's energy office.

 

Full article at http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/08/30/sns083107wind.html

 

---

 

Wind company says grant doesn't matter

Invenergy says it didn't apply for state grant its competitor, EverPower, received and will continue its work.

By Natalie Morales, Staff Writer

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

 

UNION TWP. — A second wind energy company vying for space in Champaign County will continue its pursuit in spite of grant money awarded to a competitor last week.  Invenergy, a Chicago-based developer of wind energy products, is one of two companies that has begun the process of measuring wind speed in Union Township and plans to progress toward wind energy development in the area, said Eric Miller, the company's senior development manager.

 

Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland announced Thursday that Invenergy's competitor, EverPower Renewables — a New York-based wind product developer — would receive up to $3 million for its planned Buckeye Wind project in Champaign and Logan counties, estimated for completion by June 30, 2009.  Invenergy did not apply for the grant money and will not be deterred from the area by the funding, Miller said.

 

Full article at http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/09/04/sns090507wind.html

Regulations proposed for wind turbine height, setback distance

Union Township Zoning Commission discussed rules that would apply to wind turbine construction

Thursday, September 06, 2007

By Natalie Morales, Staff Writer

 

URBANA — Proposals for wind turbine regulations to specify setback distances within Union Township were laid out Wednesday night.  The Union Township Zoning Commission had a work session at the county Community Center auditorium, and about 35 area residents attended but were not permitted to talk during the meeting.

 

Commissioners Bill Runyan, David Hayden, Jeff Channel and Ken Davis voted in favor of all the proposed regulations. Commissioner Don Skillman voted against all but one of the proposals, saying he thought the proposals should be presented in their suggested wording before they were voted upon.

 

Full article at http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/09/05/sns090607wind.html

 

---

 

Commission opposes wind turbine proposal

Thursday, September 13, 2007

By Natalie Morales, Staff Writer

 

UNION TWP. — A tri-county advisory board denied the second proposal from township residents outlining distance restrictions for wind turbines Wednesday.  The Logan-Union-Champaign Region Planning Commission — based in East Liberty — reviewed the proposal, which had been passed on from the Union Township Zoning Commission last week for review.

 

The LUC recommended the township zoning commission deny the proposal by Union Neighbors United — the group of township residents opposed to the turbines without more regulations.  "We want to establish fair and balanced zoning, which allows wind power in Union Twp. while protecting neighbors and preserving the scenic beauty of Union Twp.," Julia Johnson of Union Neighbors United said in a release.

 

Full article at http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/09/13/sns091407wind.html

During the Bengals v. Browns game they had a camera shot that showed a wind turbine in action just outside Cleveland Brown Stadium...very cool.

Yea, I caught that too!        Very cool!

Maby that turbine is blowing in "winds of change" for the browns.

Wind proposal sent for review

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

 

UNION TWP. — A zoning regulations amendment proposal regarding wind energy structures will be sent from the township zoning commission to a review board after a year of debate about the document.  The township zoning commission voted Wednesday to have the Logan-Union-Champaign Regional Planning Commission — an East Liberty-based advisory group — review the proposal and make recommendations back to the commission.

 

Union Neighbors United, a group of township residents concerned about the placement of wind turbines, resubmitted an alternate amendment proposal to the commission, which the commission decided to send to the LUC for review as well.  The commission must have a public hearing on the proposals within 40 days of its submission, which was scheduled for 7 p.m. Dec. 17 in the Champaign County Community Center auditorium.

 

http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/hp/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/11/07/sns110807wind.html

From Crain's Cleveland:

 

Wind behind their backs

Despite Ohio’s inertia, makers of advanced energy equipment see fortunes rise as interest in sustainable power picks up elsewhere

By DAVID BENNETT

4:30 am, December 10, 2007

 

A favorable wind is driving business at John Walsh’s company — and he expects it to continue to blow his way with or without a hand from the state of Ohio.  Mr. Walsh is president of Avon Bearings Corp., a company in Avon that has been involved in the wind energy business for about 20 years.  These days, wind generation accounts for more than 20% of sales at the company, which makes precision turntable bearings that are 9 feet in diameter for use in wind turbines.

 

Though Mr. Walsh would like more of his company’s business to come from Ohio, Avon Bearings nonetheless is seeing its sales rise in other states that are moving ahead with programs that push electric utilities to produce power from sustainable energy sources such as the wind.  Indeed, Mr. Walsh is confident that such programs and the rising reliance of wind turbine manufacturers on Ohio suppliers will cause Avon Bearings’ wind business segment to grow to 40% of the company’s total sales in the next few years.

 

More at http://www.crainscleveland.com/

Gov: Embrace new energy tech

BY JULIE CARR SMYTH | ASSOCIATED PRESS

December 12, 2007

 

COLUMBUS - Ohio must embrace new energy technologies like windmills and solar panels or its economic slide will continue, Gov. Ted Strickland said Tuesday.  "It's the spirit of our time," said Strickland, a Democrat who led his party's resurgence last year in a political swing state controlled for more than a decade by Republicans.  "We cannot, and I just pray to God that we don't, let these opportunities pass us by."

 

The popular Democrat spoke near the conclusion of his first year in office, which has not seen the economic upturn that Strickland had initially hoped.  A combination of lower than expected tax collections and increased Medicaid enrollment required the administration to delay plans to expand government-financed health care coverage for the needy, and Ohio's jobless rate is more or less flat.

 

But Strickland said he is inundated with inquiries from enthusiastic energy companies, both foreign and domestic, that see Ohio as an optimal spot to locate or expand their businesses.  Strickland said that is part of the reason why passage of a pending energy bill that includes mandatory thresholds for the use of alternative energies, including clean coal from his native Appalachia, is his priority.

Energy expert praises Ohio plan

Wednesday,  February 6, 2008 - 3:18 AM

By Paul Wilson

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Gov. Ted Strickland's proposed electricity-regulation plan would protect Ohio from a "costly path that many other states have been forced to travel," a national energy expert said.  Kenneth Rose, a Columbus-based consultant, told the House Public Utilities Committee yesterday that he supports the current plan's requirement that regulators set rates unless utilities can convince them that enough competition exists to keep prices down.

 

That protection is important, Rose said, because competition hasn't developed sufficiently to keep prices low in a fully deregulated market, which would take effect next year in Ohio if new rules aren't implemented.  The House has held hearings on Strickland's bill since late last year.  Action is expected in the coming weeks.

 

The issue dates to the late 1990s when Ohio and other states moved to deregulate electricity.  Rose was part of a legislative task force that worked toward that in Ohio, but events including the California energy crisis and rising electricity prices have changed his tune.

 

Full article at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2008/02/06/electric.ART_ART_02-06-08_C7_L6997A0.html?sid=101

Jobs in 'green' energy could recharge Ohio

Wednesday,  February 6, 2008 - 3:18 AM

By Paul Wilson

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

You've heard the numbers: Ohio has lost more than 200,000 manufacturing jobs so far this decade.  But state officials say many of those could be replaced by 2030 if Ohio's manufacturing strength can be tapped in the cause of renewable energy.

 

"This is one of our best bets, particularly on the manufacturing side," said Mark Barbash, chief economic-development officer for the state Department of Development.  "It also offers the opportunity for additional research and development jobs."

 

In 2006, about 3,000 Ohioans had jobs related to renewable energy, according to a report by the American Solar Energy Society.  But the report, funded by the Department of Development, predicted that could rise to 174,000 by 2030 under the right market conditions and aggressive pursuit by the state.

 

Full article at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2008/02/06/green_collar_jobs_local.ART_ART_02-06-08_C8_L6994GI.html?sid=101

^Good news on the green energy front! 

 

Strickland's administration is certainly talking a good game.  Now let's hope that its not just talk.  Ohio can sure use more jobs, but green industry jobs could be the premium jobs of the 21st century.

Morrow County considering rules for wind turbines

Commissioners try to head off disputes

Wednesday, February 20, 2008 

By Holly Zachariah, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

The Morrow County commissioners appear ready to approve regulations to control the placement of wind turbines, a source of green energy that has proved controversial elsewhere in the state.  At a hearing yesterday, commissioners discussed changes to the county's zoning regulations that would, among other things, establish a permitting procedure for the wind turbines and, to some degree, control where they could go.

 

Several wind companies, Commissioner Olen Jackson said, are interested in putting the turbines in two townships in which zoning is controlled by the county: Congress and North Bloomfield.  No one at the hearing seemed opposed to the regulations, but that's not always been the case elsewhere.  In Logan County, for example, a group of landowners has argued against regulations for the turbines because the property owners say officials are being too lenient with their rules.  One zoning fight went all the way to the Ohio Supreme Court.

 

Full article at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/02/20/MCWIND.ART_ART_02-20-08_B5_TI9DHJ9.html?sid=101

 

New bill would beef up renewable energy in Ohio

Posted by John Funk

February 20, 2008 19:14PM

 

Ohio House Speaker Jon Husted is taking a page from Gov. Ted Strickland's hymnal -- marshaling the Forces for Green in order to gain support for a utility regulation bill.  Husted and top GOP House leaders were planning to unveil new legislation today that rewrites -- and beefs up -- renewable energy provisions in the governor's comprehensive utility regulation bill, pending since last fall.

 

The new bill will be sponsored by State Rep. Jim McGregor, a Republican from Gahanna, who earlier introduced a bill requiring utilities to generate 22 percent of their power with wind, solar and other renewable technologies by 2020. They would have had to pay heavy fines if they did not meet a strict time table. The measure stalled, but parts of it are now expected to resurface.

 

More at http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer

This sounds amazing. It would be great if Husted's addition would be considered, but I guess I'm just wondering how much of a stink the utilities would make about this?

More on the Husted proposal:

 

House speaker unveils advanced energy measure

Business First of Columbus - February 21, 2008

 

The leader of the Ohio House of Representatives is putting his support behind a new measure aimed at improving the state's energy future as talks continue over a broader energy bill cleared in the Senate last year.  Rep. Jim McGregor, R-Gahanna, will sponsor a new energy package unveiled Thursday by Speaker Jon Husted, R-Kettering, that sets annual benchmarks for a gradual shift to renewable energy and outlines the role of the planned Ohio Renewable Energy Authority.

 

The measure doesn't address the regulatory component of Senate Bill 221, legislation passed in October and now in House hearings. That portion of the broader bill deals with regulating utility prices when rates set by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio expire at the end of the year. Karen Stivers, a spokeswoman for House Speaker Jon Husted, R-Kettering, on Thursday said the newest measure, cobbled from other legislative packages in the House, including S.B. 221, shouldn't affect the progress of the Senate-approved bill.

 

Full article at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/mobile/stories/2008/02/18/daily30.html

This is very good. Ohio had been looking backward on this issue compared with neighboring states such as Penna (though I believe 12.5% renewable by 2025 is a lower percentage than some other states are requiring.) Now that the Republicans are backing it in a Republican-controlled legislature, we have a good chance of seeing this passed.

 

 

Ohio Republicans push "green" energy proposal

Posted by John Funk

February 21, 2008 22:11PM

 

Ohio could look like a green state if the Republican leadership in the Ohio House gets its way.  The 40-year-old Dayton Republican unveiled legislation designed to make Ohio's big investor-owned electric utilities embrace wind turbines, solar panels and other renewable generation technologies -- or face financial punishment.

 

These politically powerful corporations also would be fined if they did not help their customers cut their electricity consumption.  Utilities would have to develop and finance programs to help consumers and businesses purchase more efficient appliances as well as high-tech heating and air conditioning equipment, lighting, insulation and other technologies.

 

More at http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer

Husted introduces renewable energy legislation

Thursday, February 21, 2008 - 2:41 PM EST

Dayton Business Journal

 

Ohio House Speaker Jon Husted, R-Kettering, introduced a two-part proposal to focus on renewable energy benchmarks for Ohio and reinvestments in the advanced energy sector of the state's economy Thursday.  The package will be sponsored by state Rep. Jim McGregor, R-Gahanna. 

 

"In the past renewable energy was only an environmental issue," Husted said.  "Today we are committing to a strategy that will make renewable energy both an economic and environmental winner for Ohio."  Under the advanced energy portfolio, by 2025, 25 percent of the electricity supplied by electric service providers is required to come from renewable and advanced energy.

 

More at http://dayton.bizjournals.com/dayton/

Call your state legislators and tell them you "support the electricity legislation for renewable energy". 

Find your legislators by zip code: http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/

This sounds amazing. It would be great if Husted's addition would be considered, but I guess I'm just wondering how much of a stink the utilities would make about this?

First Energy spent a huge amount of money on lobbyists to hobble the renewable energy requirements in the bill presented by Governor Strickland SB221.  Environmentalists had been lobbying the leadership hard to get renewables reinstated.  Ohio House Speaker Jon Husted, R-Kettering, became a believer in climate protection and deserves recognition and praise for sponsoring this new legislation.  MacGregor is a big fan of wind turbines. 

 

Times are changing!

 

Now it is your turn to contact your legislators and tell them you want electricity from renewable energy.  Find them: http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/

Energy policy: U.S. needs to show world the way

By MATT SIMMONS

Houston Chronicle

 

If I were preparing a briefing for the president-elect on urgent energy actions needed in the administration's first 30 days, it would read as follows:

 

• Be prepared for peak oil and gas. While the data is still imperfect, there is a high risk that global use of oil and gas is now at or beyond a sustainable level. While demand for both key fossil fuels still rages ahead, new supplies are struggling to grow fast enough to offset rising production declines from old (and very old) oil and gas basins.

 

For two decades, the number of exploration discoveries has declined and the size of the average new discovery also shrank. For the sake of the global economy, the United States needs to assume the leading role in guiding the world's key oil consuming nations to a rapid change in the intensity of how we now use oil and gas.

 

Full article at http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/5564584.html

Just noticed a couple of other threads that could be merged into this newly created Ohio Energy Policy thread.

 

1) Gov. Strickland Appoints Energy Policy Advisor at http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,11703.0.html

 

and

 

2) Ohio wind energy at http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,12705.0.html

Strickland tries to rev energy bill

Governor's effort to revive stalled legislation unfairly gives effort to big utilities, critics say

Saturday,  March 8, 2008 - 7:02 AM

By Jim Siegel, The Columbus Dispatch

 

As his staff members staffers drop reminders that his energy bill has been pending in the legislature for 128 days, Gov. Ted Strickland has offered Republican House leaders a 12-page list of what he calls "common-ground energy suggestions."  Strickland, who has been pushing House Speaker Jon Husted, R-Kettering, to move on the energy bill, addresses a variety of issues, including a main point of contention between the two leaders: when electricity producers should be allowed to enter an unregulated market.  The governor is proposing 10 criteria that a utility must meet before it can go to market in 10 years.  Some have knocked his current bill, which has passed the Senate, arguing that it left the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio too much leeway in determining competitive market conditions.

 

Strickland's ideas drew a sharp reaction from the Alliance for Real Energy Options, a group of third-party electricity providers that argues he is favoring large power users over residential and commercial consumers.  "Northern Ohio electric consumers can't wait another 10 ten years for lower prices," said Alliance Chairman Lynn Olman, adding that data show that "northern Ohio electric rates are well above rates now available in the competitive marketplace. We can have lower prices now. Why should we wait?"

 

More at http://www.dispatch.com

How can the state fund renewable energy research from penalties/fines if the state pushes back the benchmarks for achieving renewable energy production? That sounds pretty basic....

To avoid fights, set rules for windmills now, experts say

Monday,  March 17, 2008

By Holly Zachariah

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

As the movement to build more green-energy-producing windmills in Ohio progresses, some officials hope we have learned lessons from the past.  It's a familiar story, this windmill debate: It pits neighbor against neighbor, and it leaves government officials scratching their heads over how to regulate something new.

 

Not so long ago, the same things happened with cell-phone towers. In some parts of Ohio, it happened with oil rigs. And way back when, the fights were about the fence along the creek that separated pioneers' lands.  Quite soon, some predict, the fight will be over large-scale solar panels.  So maybe, some local officials say, before the towering turbines consume Ohio's landscape, guidelines will be established to help decide where they should go.

 

MAP: AREAS IN OHIO WITH THE GREATEST WIND POWER POTENTIAL

 

Full article at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/03/17/MOREWIND.ART_ART_03-17-08_A1_QV9LQIN.html?sid=101

 

Article published April 13, 2008

 

Utility surveying area to develop wind farm

Firm is in talks with landowners in Seneca County

By TOM HENRY, BLADE STAFF WRITER

 

BASCOM, Ohio - Ohio's first utility-scale wind farm could be developed north of this tiny Seneca County village - instead of rural Bowling Green which already is home to large turbines.  While the four utility-scale turbines at the Wood County landfill off U.S. 6 made history as the first to be installed in Ohio, that site isn't really what renewable energy buffs consider to be a wind farm.

 

Not that anyone in this fledgling industry has a clear definition of what separates a wind farm from a demonstration project, mind you.  One litmus test could be the Ohio Power Siting Board.  Licenses from that state board are required for projects 50 megawatts or greater.  Generating that much would require at least 30 turbines.

 

Each of Bowling Green's four turbines, built with assistance from American Municipal Power-Ohio and now operated by a 10-member AMP-Ohio consortium, generates a little more than 1.7 megawatts of electricity.  Together, they put out 7 megawatts - roughly enough juice for 7,000 homes.  Even Daryl Stockburger, the retired Bowling Green utilities director who masterminded that project, concedes that's not really a wind farm per se.

 

Full article at http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080413/NEWS06/804130339/-1/NEWS

 

The bill features a 12.5% requirement for renewable energy (broadly), a .5% "carve out" for photovoltaics (which will suit the PV producer who wants to locate in Cleveland), and one of the most ambitious efficiency programs in the country.  (Especially notable for a large state with high energy usage).

 

Kudos to Ohio Senate leader Bill Husted who saw the merit in the green proposals.

 

:clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:

 

Strickland signs sweeping energy bill

By Associated Press

POSTED: 03:04 p.m. EDT, May 01, 2008

 

COLUMBUS: Gov. Ted Strickland has signed a long-debated bill that brings sweeping changes to Ohio's electric power industry.  Strickland today capped seven months of legislative work on the bill, which quickly cleared the Senate but became bogged down in the House after questions arose about how competition in the sale of power would affect rates.  The Legislature settled on a hybrid approach of looking at both regulated plans and prices on the open market and giving consumers the lower rate.  The bill also calls for the development of wind and solar power systems.

 

Full article at http://www.ohio.com/news/break_news/18458029.html

It appears to be a very good start. Congrats on Dems and GOPers working together.

As that map shows there are definitely some places with wind power potential, I just have to wonder how reliable solar would in large swathes of Ohio. I know I was in Toledo one winter, where we literally didn't see the sun for something like two and half months. Though UT has the Stranahan core of folks involved in photovoltiacs. Maybe we could send the snow birds to Florida with big solar arrays and a battery and they could catch some rays and bring it back to us when they visit their grandchildren around Christmas and then at spring break.

Wind power likely to blow in

Energy developer seeks final approval to build turbines in Champaign County

Sunday, July 27, 2008 

By Holly Zachariah, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

There seems to be little doubt that Champaign County soon will become the center of Ohio's march toward harnessing wind for power.  For years, there's been lots of talk about building the towering, green-energy wind turbines in lots of places: along the Lake Erie shoreline, in Morrow or Logan counties, maybe even in Hardin County.

 

But while all those locations have been debated, EverPower Renewables has negotiated leases with at least 100 property owners, mostly in eastern Champaign County, for land for the turbines.  Now, the New York-based wind-energy developer plans to file two applications with the Ohio Power Siting Board for what, if approved and built, will dwarf Ohio's only other wind farm, a four-turbine project in Bowling Green.

 

Full article at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/07/27/THEWIND.ART_ART_07-27-08_B1_8DARTGH.html?sid=101

This is an email I received from the WE Campaign:

 

As Congress looks ahead to its August recess, thousands of workers in America's wind and solar energy companies are looking ahead to something very different -- possible layoffs.  It's time to pick up the phone.  It's stunning that layoffs could happen in such a high growth sector.  But it's what we can expect if Congress fails to extend the tax incentives that are key to getting these new industries established.

 

You can reach your Senators at these numbers:

Senator Voinovich: 202-224-3353

Senator Brown: 202-224-2315

 

• Make sure they know you are one of their constituents.
  
• Ask them to support the tax incentives for renewable energy in bill S. 3335.
  
• Tell them it is essential that these incentives pass before the recess. Waiting longer will cause a significant loss of momentum for these industries.
  

 

America can lead the way in producing electricity from sources that do not contribute to global warming. Doing so would revitalize our economy, make us more secure and help solve the climate crisis. We need the Senate to act.

 

Sincerely,

 

Cathy Zoi

CEO

www.wecansolveit.org

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080801/BIZ01/808010347/1076/NEWS

 

Duke wants rates up $5

Electrical plan filed Thursday

By Mike Boyer

August 1, 2008

 

Average residential customers of Duke Energy in Ohio would see about a $5 increase in their monthly electric bills starting in January under a new rate plan filed Thursday with state regulators to comply with Ohio's new energy law.  The utility, which has about 690,000 customers in Southwest Ohio, said the average household using 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity a month would see their bill increase from $110.89 to $115.70, or 4.3 percent, if approved by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO). Nonresidential customers also would see increases.

 

The new Electric Security Plan (ESP), required of all the state's investor-owned utilities, would run through 2011 and allow Duke to seek additional increases to cover the cost of fuel and additional generation capacity in the second and third years.  "As energy prices increase because of market forces, our ESP will protect customers from extreme price volatility and provide a reasonable return to our investors," said Sandra Meyer, president Duke Energy Ohio.

 

http://blog.cleveland.com/business/2008/07/ohios_electric_utilities_seeki.html

 

FirstEnergy seeks rate increase, but bills could fall next year

Posted by John Funk

 

FirstEnergy Corp. wants a rate increase -- its first in 12 years for Cleveland and Toledo customers, 18 years for Akron and Youngstown customers.  But many consumers would see their electric bills decline slightly next year anyway because charges that have been on their bills for nearly a decade will drop off.

 

Also, the three-year rate plan would defer some costs such as fuel price increases, collecting them over a decade -- with interest -- to keep current rates lower.  Counting the deferrals, the plan would limit total residential rate increases to an average of 5.3 percent in 2009, 4 percent in 2010 and 6 percent in 2011.

Small, cheaper turbine might work for homes

Sunday,  September 14, 2008 3:36 AM

By Lot Tan

 

MILFORD, Ohio -- The leaves on the trees near Melink Corp.'s headquarters don't appear to be moving at all, the breeze is so light.  Company President Steve Melink, however, perceives a wind of change -- and financial opportunity.

 

Melink's namesake company, which provides energy-saving products and services to the building industry, just installed the first Aventa LoWind turbine in North America.  Soaring over the company's parking lot, the turbine features three fan blades, or rotors, that can generate electricity with wind speeds as low as 3 or 4 mph.  Most turbines require winds of at least 8 to 10 mph.

 

"It's specifically designed for low-wind-speed conditions, which we have here in southwest Ohio," Melink said.

 

Full article at http://dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2008/09/14/WindPower.ART_ART_09-14-08_D6_FBBAIK3.html?sid=101

The energy in wind is a cube-function of the wind speed.  Wind blowing 12 mph has nine times the energy of wind blowing at 4 mph. 

Ohio to give wind, solar power grants for homes

AEP, others are encouraging installers to apply for the funds

Chillicothe Gazette/AP, January 8, 2009

 

CLEVELAND - Ohio is taking another step in its attempt to turn the state into a hub for the renewable energy industry by offering grants to increase the use of solar and wind power.  The new program isn't big, but development officials say it will help an industry that could create thousands of jobs in Ohio.  Customers of FirstEnergy Corp., Duke Energy, American Electric Power and Dayton Power and Light Co. will be eligible for the wind and solar grants.

 

The state says the $3.5 million program for residential projects will lead to 260 wind turbines and 200 solar hot water systems.  "It's a great building block," said Aaron Godwin, a renewable-energy consultant who also is on the board of Green Energy Ohio, which promotes renewable energy.  Gov. Ted Strickland has targeted advanced energy as a key to reviving the state's weak economy.

Renewables: America's next heavy industry

How three manufacturers in three Midwest states are picking up where the auto sector is laying off.

By Steve Hargreaves, CNNMoney, May 23, 2009

 

MINSTER, OHIO (CNNMoney.com) -- About 200 miles south of Detroit, America's industrial heartland gives way to the Ohio countryside.  Here lies the tiny town of Minster, off I-75 past the Ford factory, the Mazda factory, the Jeep factory and the massive coal and nuclear plants that keep them all running.

 

Surrounded by farms, a family-run manufacturer is getting in on the business everyone from President Obama on down hopes will clear the air, wean the country off imported energy, and replace the fast-disappearing auto jobs: Making parts for the burgeoning renewable energy sector.

 

For the last two years, the Minster Machine Company has been forging the giant cast-iron hubs that keep the blades attached to the center of a wind turbine.  "The wind market for us was a diversification strategy," said John Winch, who followed his father, grandfather and great-grandfather in helming the 103-year old company. Minster Machine also makes the equiptment that make the parts for the auto, medical and food industries, among others.

 

Click the link above for the rest of the article.

'Wind Cube' powering first northern Ohio building

Posted By: Dick Russ    Updated: 7/6/2009 7:12:20 PM  Posted: 7/6/2009 6:20:03 PM

 

 

PORT CLINTON -- The newest shape of wind energy is being pioneered in Ohio with the first installation of a Wind Cube on a commercial building.  The wind energy device, which measures 22-feet tall and across, sits on the rooftop of the Crown Battery Manufacturing Company in the Lake Erie Business Park in Port Clinton.

 

It was installed by Green Energy Technologies of Akron, which developed the device for urban areas and those in which traditional large wind turbines were not practical.  "We knew that if we were going inside the city limits or if we were going to be putting them in buildings we had to be able to amplify the wind," Green Energy President Mark Cironi told WKYC before a ribbon-cutting at the Port Clinton plant on Monday.

 

The device can operate at ambient wind speeds of as low as five miles per hour. Consultant David Spera, Ph.D., of DASCON Engineering says that can help keep a constant flow of power into the system. "The five mile per hour wind will get it going, and wind will often drop in its speed," says Spera. "And this way the turbine won't stop. At five miles per hour it will stil be turning and come right back up again."

 

Full article at http://www.wkyc.com/news/state/ohio/news_article.aspx?storyid=117224&catid=23

How much power does it put out? Can it power a refrigerator?