Vice President Ryan Hodum was joined by Amazon and TechNet in testifying before the Ohio House Public Utilities Committee on Wednesday May 18th. The House Public Utilities Committee is considering HB 190 which would remove policies that effectively prohibit new wind turbine development in the state.
Many Fortune 500 companies, such as Amazon, have aggressive renewable energy targets and the current wind-set back policies have kept many companies from investing in Ohio. For these companies, renewable energy is a smart business decision – they can save money with renewable power. Powering facilities with renewable energy allows large customers to hedge against power price fluctuations by locking in rates over a long period of time.
This rapidly expanding corporate demand for renewable energy has made any state’s renewable energy policies an economic development issue. Members of the Ohio legislature are right to see renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, as key to attracting Fortune 500 companies to the state. Access to renewable energy is a critical factor for many of America’s largest employers when they choose where to do business. Click here to read Ryan’s full testimony.
