On March 8, Ohio Advanced Energy Economy (Ohio AEE) continued its series of meetings with Ohio gubernatorial hopefuls by sitting down with Attorney General Mike DeWine, the former U.S. Senator, and Republican frontrunner for governor.

In our meeting with Attorney General DeWine, a group of 10 companies with representatives from First Solar, Apex Clean Energy, Tradewind Energy, Schneider Electric, and Open Road Renewables among them, discussed the job creation potential associated with advanced energy. In addition, significant cost declines for renewable energy over the last decade (60% for solar and 80% for wind technology), improvement in grid reliability, and economic development that supports local schools in rural areas were key benefits that resonated with DeWine.

The roundtable was Ohio AEE’s second in a series of meetings with candidates for governor. Through these roundtables, we are articulating the economic benefits and growth potential presented by advanced energy technologies for Ohio’s businesses and consumers.

Participants covered a wide range of advanced energy businesses from across the state including solar, wind, electric vehicles, grid software, combined heat and power, energy storage and energy efficiency. The group discussed the growing impact of their businesses in Ohio where more than 105,000 people work in advanced energy, an industry that is growing six times faster than any other sector in Ohio.

The group discussed the energy policy landscape in Ohio and its impact on clean energy and the economy, including investment barriers like wind turbine siting standards that impeded projects, and some efforts to reduce renewable and energy efficiency goals.

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