Ohio lawmakers consider extending freeze on renewables, efficiency standards

Dive Brief:

Ohio lawmakers are considering extending a freeze of the state's energy efficiency standards, arguing that uncertainty due to the Clean Power Plan has left them unsure what measures are needed.
Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R), now a presidential candidate, signed in 2014 a law freezing the state's efficiency standard at 2.5% until 2017. Some lawmakers now want to extend the freeze until 2019.
But efficiency advocates told Midwest Energy News that the move represents a misunderstanding of how the plan will account for energy reductions. “The longer we have these standards frozen, the more we get behind," according to an official at the Ohio Environmental Council.

Dive Insight:

Ohio's energy efficiency freeze was supposed to be temporary, but lawmakers have seized on the Clean Power Plan's uncertainty as an opportunity to extend it.

According to Midwest Energy News, Sen. Troy Balderson spoke at an Ohio State Bar Association event last week and discussed legislation that is being considered to extend the freeze.

“We are still looking to continue the freeze to 2019,” he said. “With the [Clean Power Plan] on hold right now, that would be the nearest time frame that we would start that process again. ... And that’s an ‘if.’ That’s not definite as to when it would happen.”

Discussion of a possible extension began last year, when a 12-member panel of Ohio state legislators tasked with evaluating the state's renewable energy and energy efficiency mandates recommended that they stay frozen at current levels indefinitely versus rising gradually. Ohio's energy mandates, which passed with strong support in 2008, required utilities to source a quarter of their electricity from alternative sources (including nuclear) by 2025, with half that amount coming from renewables. They were also directed to cut power usage 22% by that time.

The decision to freeze efficiency levels in 2014 caught advocates by surprise. At that time, no other states had rolled back a renewable energy mandate program already in place, but Kasich signed the proposal to "check back to see if everything's OK."

He appeared to reverse course slightly and warned lawmakers not to "gut" the standards on the campaign trail, and said last fall that a "continued freeze of Ohio's energy standards is unacceptable."

Now it appears the temporary freeze could be extended. And advocates say that decision belies a lack of understanding of the Clean Power Plan and efficiency.

“The longer we have these standards frozen, the more we get behind in terms of being on track to meet the carbon reduction goals,” the Ohio Environmental Council's Trish Demeter told Midwest Energy News. “So it makes sense to bring them back as soon as possible. Then we’ll be able to count what we’re doing now towards our final goal.”

Along with continuing the freeze, Ohio's legislative committee made other recommendations, including moving to renewable and efficiency incentives instead of mandatory goals, and streamlining the approval process for efficiency programs.