Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Who Is In Charge Of Ohio's Legislature?



 

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



No comments:

Post a Comment