AEE and Ohio AEE Disappointed with Ohio House of Representatives’ Rejection of Wind Setback Fix

With the Ohio House refusing to accept a compromise to reform restrictive wind siting standards, wind development in Ohio remains at standstill 

Columbus, Ohio, June 28, 2017 — Today, national business group Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) and its state partner, Ohio Advanced Energy Economy (Ohio AEE), expressed disappointment with the Ohio House of Representatives’ failure to correct Ohio’s wind turbine siting standards, maintaining one of the nation’s most restrictive setbacks. Had lawmakers adopted this correction to wind siting standards, Ohio could have regained its position as a more attractive place to develop innovative wind energy projects, generating hundreds of jobs and attracting billions in private investments.

“For three years, Ohio has told those looking to invest in wind energy ‘we are closed for business.’ And once again, lawmakers have compromised Ohio’s economic growth and competitiveness by making it more difficult to invest in secure, clean, affordable energy resources,” said J.R. Tolbert, vice president of state policy at AEE. “We are discouraged by today’s decision to drop the amendment that would have fixed the state’s wind setback standard, which now stands in the way of new wind development.”

Reforming the wind turbine setback regulations that now impede wind energy development would have not only provided consumers with secure, clean, affordable energy, but also brought benefits to the rural communities in which projects are located. Wind energy facilities create new high-paying construction jobs and permanent operations and maintenance jobs, and generate millions in new tax revenue and land payments to support local schools, libraries, community centers, roads, and first responders. An amendment to the Senate version of the budget package would have modified the setback requirement, making wind development in Ohio more feasible, but House leaders refused to accept the provision. 

“Increasingly businesses, both large and small, are demanding their operations and facilities be powered with affordable, advanced energy resources like wind and solar,” said Ted Ford, President of the Ohio AEE. “By continuing to uphold barriers to the adoption of these and other advanced energy technologies, the state is ceding its position as an attractive place to do business in the Midwest.”

About Advanced Energy Economy
Advanced Energy Economy is a national association of businesses that are making the energy we use secure, clean, and affordable. Advanced energy encompasses a broad range of products and services that constitute the best available technologies for meeting energy needs today and tomorrow. AEE’s mission is to transform public policy to enable rapid growth of advanced energy businesses. AEE and its State and Regional Partner organizations are active in 27 states across the country, representing more than 1,000 companies and organizations in the advanced energy industry. Visit AEE online at www.aee.net.