House Bill 6 sabotaged Ohio’s energy future
Young people are looking for the state to change direction Repeal necessary to stay competitive in clean energy market
ripped away the curtain and shone a spotlight on the House Bill 6 scandal, Ohio has been given the chance for a once-in-a-lifetime do-over.
We have the opportunity to not only right the wrongs that came about with HB 6, but also a chance to do so much better for our state.
We have the chance — right now — to imagine an Ohio that encourages clean energy generation that will attract the types of jobs that our workforce — both now and in the future — need and deserve.
We have the chance — right now — to do better for people of color and impoverished Ohioans who are disproportionately impacted by climate change.
We have the chance – right now – to ensure that big utility companies can no longer dictate to the state government and that instead, we can create energy policy that is based on what is best for all Ohioans in every corner of our state.
We have this chance. But will Ohio’s policy makers embrace it? That’s the 61-million-dollar question, isn’t it?
Ohio had better get moving, because other states are already ahead of us, and we continue to fall behind. While the marketplace rapidly abandons the health and environmental damage of coal, Ohio’s citizens are stuck by HB 6 subsidizing two coal plants, one of which is in Indiana!
The newest generation of voters is just starting to make its impact. And what issue does that generation care about the most? Climate change. That is no surprise, since it’s their future, their livelihoods and their lives that are at stake. If we do not change course, our children and my grandchild’s generation will give up on Ohio and look back at us with scorn.
Ohio’s political leaders and at least one major utility company committed grave crimes against democracy, against our health and against the future with the passage of HB 6. We now have a chance to right those wrongs. Ohio better seize it.
David T. Abbott is president of The George Gund Foundation.
There is no doubt that we are living in a challenging, tumultuous and defining era. Across our country, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc on lives and livelihoods. Meanwhile, devastating natural disasters have added to the death toll and racked up tens of billions of dollars in damage. Like the rest of the country, Ohio has been hit hard by recent crises. I’m sure many of us wish that we had a crystal ball to help us see when and how we might realize a brighter future ahead.
Fortunately, when it comes to the environment, we do have a crystal ball. It’s called science. According to a new report by the United Nations, we have only 10 years left to take meaningful action on climate change. If we ignore these warnings, our other efforts to improve the world around us — regardless of political priorities — will truly be for naught.
Of course, crises and challenges can spark creativity and present opportunities for reinvention. That is why the Cleveland Foundation is committed to advancing clean energy, innovation and economic development. We believe a clean energy future and a strong economy go hand-in-hand.
Since 2003, the foundation has championed projects like offshore wind development in Lake Erie, which would provide economic benefits across Ohio via a statewide wind power and solar supply chain. We also advocated for renewable energy and energy efficiency standards, including the 2008 Renewable Portfolio Standard bill, that have saved Ohio consumers money and set our state on the path toward clean energy leadership.
Then, House Bill 6 happened — sending these projects into a dangerous tailspin and severely tarnishing our state’s reputation for innovation on the national stage, thereby undercutting the excellent work being done by this administration’s Jobsohio and Innovateohio organizations. It’s hard to believe that advanced energy entrepreneurs, engineers and innovators who can grow our economy to new heights and create thousands of jobs would consider setting up shop in Ohio right now.
A full repeal of HB 6 is urgently needed. Every day that we leave it in place, we are blocking economic development, job creation and the attraction of top talent — and we are failing to restore Ohio’s reputation for honest, uncorrupted government.
Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas, South Carolina and Texas (all red states, by the way) are rapidly investing in clean energy opportunities with support from both sides of the aisle because they know it’s a win-win for the environment and the economy. Ohio, on the other hand, apparently has decided to vie for the distinction of being dead last in one of the most exciting and lucrative industries of the future. Rather than positioning our state to be competitive in a high-growth market, we have allowed special interests to gain public subsidies for a declining industry. If free-market forces had been on Firstenergy’s side, it wouldn’t have needed an allegedly illegal scheme forcing the citizens of Ohio to foot the bill for its bailout.
Our elected officials do not need a crystal ball to know the right thing to do for a stronger Ohio and a healthier planet. They need to demonstrate the political will to repeal House Bill 6 now and advance an honest, robust clean energy jobs and growth agenda that will enable us to catch up to other states that are already reaping the benefits of job and wealth creation from advanced energy.
This is a unique opportunity for political leaders, capitalists, entrepreneurs, philanthropists and environmental partners to work together to create the environment for success in our state. This might be Ohio’s last opportunity to get it right before we’re left in the dust.
Ronn Richard is president & CEO of the Cleveland Foundation.