Ohio became the nation’s first state to roll back renewable energy standards after the state House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 310 and Gov. John Kasich recently signed the measure.
The standards previously required the state’s utilities to sell more solar and wind energy each year and charged them with finding efficiency solutions for their customers. Passage of the bill means the standards are put on hold until 2017, when a committee could permanently freeze them.
Environmental groups estimate that consumers have saved a combined $1 billion on their bills over the life of the standards. In additions, the standards have brought in an estimated $1 billion in investment commitments.
“With this legislation, Gov. Kasich is moving the state backwards while monopoly utilities will see even greater profits,” Sierra Club campaign representative Daniel Sawmiller said. “Ohioans can now expect higher electricity bills, fewer jobs in the clean energy manufacturing and construction industries, and increased pollution.
(http://ecowatch.com/2014/06/13/ohio-gov-john-kasich-renewable-energy-freeze/)
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Sep 22, 2021
Group proposes Carbon Use Intensity metric for new buildings
Plan would track embedded carbon on projects.
Codes and Standards | Sep 22, 2021
Illinois’s sweeping climate bill includes statewide stretch code, building electrification measures
Aims for zero-emissions power sector by 2045.
Codes and Standards | Sep 22, 2021
Cities need to step up flood mitigation efforts to save lives
Recent storms highlight climate change dangers.
Codes and Standards | Sep 21, 2021
Steps to improve ventilation for Covid can combat colds and flu
New look at airborne disease spread shows time viruses linger in air may have been underestimated.
Codes and Standards | Sep 15, 2021
USGBC will change leaders, conduct strategic review
Aims to ensure organization is ‘well positioned to scale its work in the post-pandemic world’.
Codes and Standards | Sep 15, 2021
LEED-certified offices earn higher rents than non-sustainable properties
Are also more resilient to dips in real estate market.
Codes and Standards | Sep 7, 2021
Boston turns to developer fees to fund flood protection infrastructure
Assessments on commercial properties will help build seawall and other protective measures.
Codes and Standards | Sep 3, 2021
Low-cost methods can have substantial impact on reducing embodied carbon
Whole-building design, material substitution, and specification strategies can slash carbon by up to 46%.
Codes and Standards | Sep 2, 2021
Case for power resiliency in buildings grows with more disaster and outages
Essential businesses like data centers, hospitals are first adopters of new storage systems.
Codes and Standards | Aug 31, 2021
UK industry group wants mandatory whole-life carbon assessments of buildings
Aims to address hidden emissions embedded in supply chains.
