Multiple Ohio editorials tell legislators to back wind power, AEPS

The headlines really speak for themselves: “No retreat,” “Kasich should work against deeply flawed Ohio Senate Bill 310,” and “Energy vigilance by Ohio voters needed when lawmakers return to Columbus.”

However, that shouldn’t stop you from reading every word of the newspaper editorials endorsing Ohio’s Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard (AEPS). It’s clear the numerous economic benefits of wind power and other renewables are making the job easy for these Ohio editorial boards to come out in strong support of the AEPS.

From the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s “Kasich should work against deeply flawed Ohio Senate Bill 310” & “Energy vigilance by Ohio voters needed when lawmakers return to Columbus”:

  • "Gov. John Kasich is demonstrating that he’s the adult in the room by reportedly threatening to veto Senate Bill 310 as the Ohio Senate’s Public Utilities Committee prepares to act."
  • "Good for Kasich. That’s leadership. That’s spine. It’s also a sharp contrast to the special-interest groveling that state Senate Republicans are demonstrating by trying to railroad S.B. 310 through the legislature."
  • "Freezing timetables set by the 2008 law would also chill in-Ohio investments in alternative energy technology. That, too, would be a folly."
  • "The promise of wind- and solar-generated energy isn’t lost on JobsOhio, the centerpiece of Kasich’s economic-development strategy. “Ohio,” according to JobsOhio’s website, “boasts an impressive wind-energy manufacturing supply chain and sits in the middle of developing renewable-energy markets … And Ohio’s solar industry is already shining brightly.”

From the Toledo Blade’s “A test for pols: Keep or gut clean-energy law?”:

  • "Would you vote for a politician who works to raise your electric bills, kill jobs, discourage economic growth and investment, waste energy, and degrade the air you breathe? Ohioans may get the chance to cast such votes, or do the opposite, this year."
  • "Northwest Ohio has 50 companies in the solar industry, along with two huge wind farms in Van Wert, Paulding, and Putnam counties. Ohio has 62 companies that supply parts to the wind energy industry, the largest number in the country."
  • "These enterprises pay local property taxes. Renewable-energy developers make lease payments to farmers and other landowners."
  • "A poll conducted last month for advanced-energy companies found that nearly three out of four Ohio voters like the clean-energy law as it is. An even higher percentage of voters back the law’s efficiency mandates. Politicians who seek new terms ignore these numbers at their peril."
  • "The first thing lawmakers need to do is abandon their misguided effort to destroy the law. You might want to let your state senator and representatives know that."

From the Akron Beacon Journal’s “No retreat

  • "Thankfully, John Kasich entered the fray in a bigger way last week, letting legislative leaders know, according to the Columbus Dispatch, that he opposes the bill in its current form. The paper reported that the governor may even have threatened a veto if it arrived on his desk. No surprise that he would object.
  • "The state has benefited from the standards, attracting investment in wind, solar and other alternatives, taking advantage of manufacturing strengths, generating businesses and jobs.
  • "Ohio isn’t alone. Other states have established similar standards. Approve the proposed freezing of the standards, and the state would be the first to retreat. That isn’t an image it wants to invite, moving away from innovation in an already changing energy market."
  • "Clearly, this legislation has become a high priority for Keith Faber, the Senate president. Now he should take his cue from the governor, and make sure he delivers something better for the state." American wind power has played a big part of the AEPS’s success by attracting $775 million in capital investment. Ohio also supports up to 3,000 jobs and is ranked #1 in the nation for wind-related manufacturing facilities with 62.

The effort to promote and defend the Ohio AEPS isn’t over yet. You can help by sharing the following link with friends, family, and other registered voters in Ohio so that they can tell their elected officials to support wind power and all of the economic benefits it brings with it. Take action here: http://energystandardswork.com/

 

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