OH GQP Continues To Hate Renewable Energy; Now Counties Can Ban Wind & Solar Development
A new Ohio law solidifies the state’s reputation for stifling clean energy industries. And the law may well be an economic development victory for places that stand to gain projects Ohio chases away. For clean energy advocates, the signing of Senate Bill 52 this month by Gov. Mike DeWine is the latest in a string of disappointments.
The new law says county governments can pass resolutions to ban large wind and solar developments, or say that certain parts of their counties are off-limits to wind and solar projects. Developers need to give county governments at least 90 days notice before filing an application with the state regulator, the Ohio Power Siting Board, so that county officials have time to review the plan and take action before the state board begins its review.
The law marks a shift away from state control of siting for large wind and solar projects. The state board will continue to review and vote on applications, but county governments will now have a way to circumvent the state’s authority.
In contrast, lawmakers in Ohio have taken great pains to rein in local control over fossil fuels, enacting a law, signed this year, that bans local governments from restricting the use of natural gas. Local governments already are barred by the state from taking actions that would limit oil and gas production. “It’s hypocrisy,” said Susan Munroe, director of economic development at Chambers for Innovation & Clean Energy, a national organization that works with chambers of commerce to promote clean energy investment. “It’s just another way to drive away that growth, drive away those jobs.”
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https://insideclimatenews.org/news/22072021/inside-clean-energy-ohio-clean-energy/