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‘Falsified’ public comments loom over Ohio state parks drilling decisions
An Ohio commission is poised to rule on proposals to drill under state parks and wildlife areas before the conclusion of an investigation into fabricated public comments submitted in favor of the proposals. The Ohio Oil and Gas Land Management Commission deferred a decision Monday in order to allow more time to consider the lease […]
Ohio disconnection data still lacks detail on racial disparities
Consumer advocates still lack access to data that would let them determine the extent of any racial disparities in Ohio utility shutoffs for customers’ failure to pay gas and electric bills. Information about what share of disconnections affect people of color, low-income families, seniors or other vulnerable groups would be an important step toward making […]
Federal funds can help Ohio electric co-ops cut costs and carbon emissions
A share of $9.7 billion in funding under the Inflation Reduction Act can help Ohio’s rural electric cooperatives save money while cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Buckeye Power, which provides generation and transmission services for the group’s 25 rural electric cooperative members, “has more exposure to coal” than any comparable group in the United States, said […]
Critics question how climate-friendly an Appalachian ‘blue’ hydrogen hub will be
Critics say a pair of proposals to make Appalachian Ohio part of regional hydrogen hubs is likely to benefit the state’s oil and gas industry more than the climate. The two proposals are among 21 projects competing for shares of a $7 billion pot of grant money under the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The law […]
Declaring natural gas ‘green energy’ in chicken bill violated Ohio constitution, groups argue
An Ohio court is set to rule on whether legislators violated the state constitution with late additions to a poultry bill that labeled natural gas as “green energy” and changed prior law to accelerate oil and gas drilling from state parks and wildlife areas. Multiple drilling proposals are now pending, with public comments due on […]
Ohio commission considers state park drilling requests under expedited timeline
A state commission will soon decide whether to greenlight drilling for natural gas under Ohio state parks, wildlife areas, and other state-owned lands. Ohio’s Oil & Gas Land Management Commission is currently considering a dozen applications to extract natural gas from state property under new rules adopted pursuant to a state law that requires it […]
After Householder and Borges sentences, what — or who — comes next?
U.S. District Judge Timothy Black sentenced former Ohio House speaker Larry Householder to 20 years in federal prison and gave lobbyist Matt Borges a five-year sentence for their roles in Ohio’s House Bill 6 corruption scandal. Here’s what to expect next, plus an update on other developments: Appeals by Householder and Borges will likely raise […]
Hydrogen, nuclear among winners in last-minute changes to Ohio budget bill
Policies for new utility charges, natural gas, nuclear power promotion and solar energy were scattered throughout the 6,198-page two-year budget bill passed by Ohio lawmakers on June 30. Line item vetoes released in the wee hours of July 4 cut some terms and modified others. Ohio’s two-year budget bills have grown in recent years into […]
Ohio utilities could resume energy efficiency programs under bipartisan bill
A bipartisan proposal advancing in the Republican-controlled Ohio House would allow gas and electric utilities to reintroduce programs designed to help customers save energy. Prior utility-run programs to reduce electricity use ended after Ohio’s energy efficiency standard was gutted as part of House Bill 6, the 2019 law at the heart of the state’s still […]
Ohio and Michigan groups aim to boost underrepresented entrepreneurs in clean energy
Technology accelerator groups in Ohio and Michigan are launching a joint program to bring the benefits of the clean energy transition to more people from underrepresented groups. BRITE Energy Innovators in Warren, Ohio, and the Centrepolis Accelerator in Southfield, Michigan, plan to combine the strengths of their core programs to help startup clean energy businesses […]
HB 6 coal plant charges mount up again in Ohio
Ohio ratepayers will again shell out money for two 1950s-era coal plants next month, following a year of cents-per-month credits. Meanwhile, regulators have yet to rule on years-old challenges to millions of dollars of spending for the plants. Critics have called the charges a bailout and have tried multiple times to repeal the coal plant […]
Ohio solar projects face an unclear path around local opposition
Ohio clean energy advocates say a string of solar project denials by state regulators has left renewable energy developers uncertain about the role of public input in permit decisions. Critics claim the Ohio Power Siting Board has been inconsistent and arbitrary in recent months with how it weighs local opposition as it balances the pros […]