A group of Ohio’s legislators want to freeze attempts at a green energy standard indefinitely. Current standards require utilities to cut energy use by 22 percent and increase the use of renewable energy sources by 12.5 percent by 2025.
The Energy Mandates Study Committee, created last year by Gov. Kasich, released a report on cost and effectiveness of the current standards. Based on the results of the study, the standards have not been cost effective, raising the average electricity bill by $40 a year.
State Representative Kristina Roegner (R-Hudson) said, “We’re only just at the beginning of the march up what we’re calling mandate mountain. So those riders, if those mandates were to increase, you could extrapolate that those extra costs in your utility bills, each and every one of you would go up as well.”
Democrats are also critical of the report. Rep. Michael Stinziano of Columbus said the report was essentially just kicking the can down the road.
“A freeze (on standards) was supposed to give the opportunity to have additional discussion and look at what the right balance of current resources, future resources could be and to hopefully position the state better an indefinite freeze doesn’t do that. I know it’s going to stymie job growth, health issues and doesn’t help consumers in any shape way or form,” Stinziano said.
The current freeze on energy standards is set to expire the end of 2016.