Ohio halts grants for green-energy projects at home

[Kolesar]

State halts grants for green-energy projects at home

by John Funk Wednesday March 26, 2008, 10:15 PM


Ohio customers pay far less toward renewable energy than ratepayers in other states. Click for chart comparing states (pdf)

• Get list of all grants awarded since 2003 (pdf)

• Read "Investing to Re-Energize Ohio," a report by Policy Matters Ohio (pdf)Ohio homeowners who want to apply for state grants to help pay for rooftop solar panels or backyard wind turbines can put away their pencils.
The Ohio Department of Development has decided it will no longer offer homeowners grants of up to $25,000 to help pay for home-grown power.

About 100 homeowners have received roughly $1 million since 2003 -- and spent another $1 million of their own money, largely on solar panel systems that typically produce as little as 3,000 to 4,000 watts.

These and small wind turbines often generate electrical surpluses that force a home's electric meter to run backward, an asset to the owner as the state's utilities push for higher rates.

The decision to turn a bureaucratic blind eye to smaller projects comes as Gov. Ted Strickland and Ohio lawmakers prepare to move the state into a green power era. Pending legislation would require Ohio's utilities to begin generating a portion of the electricity they sell with wind, solar and other alternative energy technologies.
...
The development department's renewable energy grant fund contains about $7 million, money raised by a 9-cent monthly assessment on every electric bill, whether residential or commercial, paid to an investor-owned utility.

In other words, most of that money has been contributed by residential ratepayers, who outnumber the big accounts and who now are shut off from receiving any of the funds


http://blog.cleveland.com/business/2008/03/_ohio_customers_pay_far.html