The
voters or special interests?
Ohio Becomes First State to Roll Back Renewable Energy Mandate
As
the rest of the country is moving forward on energy efficiency and
independence, Ohio is moving backwards
What
Ohio newspapers don't want you to know!
ALEC
Coordinated A Nationwide Attack On Renewable Standards In 2013. In
2013, ALEC attempted to push through at least 37 bills attempting to
dismantle or weaken state-wide renewable energy standards across the
country. As reported in the Huffington Post:
American
Legislative Exchange Council Connects Fossil Fuel Interests To
Legislators. The
American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC, connects corporations
to legislators that work together to draft model legislation
promoting "limited government, free markets, and federalism at
the state level." Their "Private Enterprise Advisory
Council" includes fossil energy powerhouses such as Koch
Industries, Energy Future Holdings, Peabody Energy [Peabody
Energy is
the
world's largest private-sector coal company],
and ExxonMobil. [ALEC.org, accessed 4/7/14;
ALEC's
list of advisers includes representatives of a number of energy
companies that stand to lose money as renewables gain a bigger share
of the market, including Peabody Energy, Koch Industries and Exxon
Mobil. [Huffington Post, 11/1/13]
As
of January 2012, ALEC members comprised approximately 43 percent of
the Ohio legislature. [People for the American Way, accessed 4/7/14
Included:
Ohio
Legislators with ALEC Ties: Sen.
William Seitz, the Cincinnati Republican and chair of the Senate
public utilities committee, and an
outspoken
critic
of
the 2008 law who
is currently on the Board of Directors of the American
Legislative
Exchange Council,
State
Senator Troy Balderson, the
primary sponsor
of the
bill
is a member ALEC’s
Energy, Environment and Agriculture task force, Seitz
is currently on the Board of Directors of ALEC
of conservative legislators and members of the private sector.
The
membership list also
includes
and
(our
own)
Rep.
Cliff Rosenberger a
member
of
ALEC .
Communications
and Technology Task Force
But,
it may be political little
more than political posturing with
no substance.
“AEP
keeping it ‘green’
“Green”-energy
efforts in Ohio might not be in suspended animation after all. All
but one of Ohio’s regulated electricity utilities plan to continue
with their green-energy programs despite a new state law that allows
the companies to put a two-year freeze on the initiatives”
“Ohio
has a huge carbon footprint when it comes to our power plants,”
said Scott
Miller,
director of Ohio University’s Consortium for Energy, Economics and
the Environment. “It’s going to be tough for the state of Ohio to
comply with these new regulations without at least the threat of
plant closures. One way to potentially meet those targets is through
– guess what? – renewables and energy efficiency. By taking that
off the table you basically make it that much more difficult for the
state to comply moving forward.”
Compiled
by Paul Hunter
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