Energy innovation could bring jobs to Ohio
Energy innovation in Ohio could have a big payoff: 20,000 new jobs and $25 billion in investment, according to a report released Tuesday.
It lays out a vision for what making electric cars and solar panels and becoming more energy efficient could do for the state’s economy.
“Investing in smarter, cleaner and more energy is simply good business,” said Asa Hopkins, principal associate for Synapse Energy Economics, a research and consulting firm based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The firm did the primary research for the report, titled “Powering Ohio: A Vision for Growth and Innovative Energy Investment.”
Electric vehicles, renewable energy and energy efficiency are among the opportunities that are ripe for development and could boost the state’s economy, according to the report.
Nearly half of the new jobs would be in transportation, where Ohio, already a leader in auto manufacturing, could play key roles in making electric vehicles, particularly their engines and transmissions, the report said. And 10,500 jobs could be created through investments in wind and solar power along with energy efficiency.
The report also highlights steps that large companies have taken in Ohio, including JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s investment in solar panels at the McCoy Center at Polaris and a wind farm in northwestern Ohio that will be used by General Motors to generate electricity to run plants in Ohio and Indiana.
Columbus has won $50 million in grants as part of the Smart City Challenge, an initiative designed in part to boost electric vehicles in the region along with energy-efficiency efforts.
“We’re working to prove that sustainable initiatives are not only good for the environment, but for our residents, our infrastructure and our shared prosperity,” said Jordan Davis, director of Smart Columbus.
Experts and advisers across Ohio’s business, regulatory, academic, labor and manufacturing sectors provided input for the report. Case Western Reserve University’s Great Lakes Energy Institute was a partner in the report, and the Environmental Defense Fund provided financial support and initiated the effort.
The report represents the first in a two-step process, the second of which is aimed at turning the ideas into reality. The plan to do so is expected to be released in the summer.
The report does acknowledge that the state will have to help.
“Ohio is blessed with a highly productive workforce, a strong manufacturing presence with robust supply chains, and innovative companies in the energy and tech sectors,” said Grant Goodrich, the Great Lakes director.
“But in order to secure future investments in clean energy, or from Fortune 500 companies with renewable-energy mandates, Ohio will have to demonstrate a commitment to creating an environment where clean-energy technology is welcomed and thrives.”