Ohio lawmakers give green light to green energy

We won!

State lawmakers in Columbus voted this week to bring clean, green energy to every Ohio household.

The Ohio House (by a vote for 93-1) and the Ohio Senate (32-0) voted overwhelmingly to require electric companies to:

·  Invest in high efficiency technologies to achieve 22% cumulative savings in energy use in Ohio by 2025, by helping customers upgrade their homes and offices though such efforts as vouchers and discounts for energy efficient light bulbs and appliances

·  Invest in wind, solar, and other renewable energy sources to provide that at least 12.5% of all power sold in Ohio by 2025 comes from clean, renewable energy

This is a huge victory for the environment, consumers, and Ohio business.

Many people had a hand in this victory, especially our great partners at Environment Ohio, Sierra Club, and Green Energy Ohio, elected leaders, especially Ohio House Speaker Jon Husted (R-Kettering) and Governor Ted Strickland, and the Ohio Consumers' Counsel, Janine Migden Ostrander.

But most of all, we want to thank you and the thousands of citizens who called, wrote, e-mailed, and even testified at the Statehouse in support of clean energy. 

Our hard work paid off!

Thank you!

Background information

OEC press release
OEC testimony
Senate Bill 221

Watch the Ohio House debate on Senate Bill 221 which took place on Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Watch the Ohio Senate debate on Senate Bill 221 which took place on Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Sincerely,

Keith Dimoff
Executive Diector
Ohio Environmental Council