As Zondits previously reported, Ohio’s renewable and efficiency standards are currently in danger due to legislation backed by fossil-fuel and corporate interests. In recent weeks, polls and studies have reported on many reasons why Ohio’s renewable and efficiency initiatives should be saved. In addition to Ohio voters overwhelmingly being in favor of energy efficiency policies, energy efficiency programs save far more in energy costs than they spend on implementation and administration. The Ohio Advanced Energy Economy examined program expenditures and estimated cost savings as a result of the efficiency programs. Their study estimates that program costs were around $515 million for the four investor-owned Ohio utilities. Savings were tallied at around $1,035 million, which represents a very good return on investment. These reports show that the energy efficiency programs are popular, have solid return on investment, and deserved to be preserved, strengthened, and improved (not axed).
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Advocates of Ohio’s green-energy law tally savings
The Columbus Dispatch, April 24, 2014Energy-efficiency programs that could be changed or eliminated as a result of a legislative proposal have led to consumer savings of $1 billion compared with costs of about $500 million, according to company reports and an analysis by “green” energy advocates.
Those figures cover the first four years — 2009 to 2012 — of programs that, under current state law, were expected to grow each year until 2025.
However, Senate Bill 310 would stop the annual increases in the law’s requirements, which cover energy efficiency and also renewable energy. Senate Republican leaders say the bill is an attempt to rein in a law that imposes costs on all utility customers while benefiting only a few of those customers. They hope to pass the measure in the next month or so.