Rep. Sheehy urges Kasich to veto continued energy freeze

State Reps. Michael P. Sheehy (D-Oregon) today sent a letter to Governor Kasich urging him to veto House Bill (HB) 554, legislation that dramatically changes the state’s energy efficiency standards to unenforceable “goals” for the next three years.

“This legislation will undermine the economic and job growth of advanced energy businesses like First Solar in northwest Ohio,” said Sheehy. “Other leading businesses across the nation – and the globe – are turning to renewable energy sources to power their state-of-the-art 21st century facilities. Leading companies such as Apple, Coca-Cola Enterprises and General Motors have all publicly pledged to produce one-hundred percent of their electricity from renewable energy sources.”

The freeze to Ohio’s Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard, Energy Efficiency, and Peak Energy Demand Reduction benchmarks were set to expire at the start of 2017 and revert back to original standards. Instead, this legislation makes those standards “goals” instead of a requirement for the next several years, jeopardizing jobs, consumer savings and public health.

Rep. Sheehy urges Kasich to veto continued energy freeze (PDF)