A Missed “Turning Point” for Ohio

Thanks to the adoption of a statewide clean energy law in 2009, Ohio has dramatically increased its renewable energy capacity over the past three years. The amount of solar energy in Ohio, for example, increased 27-fold between 2009 and 2011. However, Ohio recently missed a landmark opportunity to become a national solar energy leader by building what would have been the largest solar generation facility in the eastern United States.

On January 9, 2013, the Public Utilities’ Commission of Ohio (PUCO) struck down a proposal by AEP Ohio, one of Ohio’s investor owned electric utilities, for a $20 million investment in the 49.9 MW Turning Point Solar Facility. The decision came despite the fact that PUCO’s own staff recommended the project for approval.

This is a frustrating loss for Ohio. The Turning Point Solar Facility would have had environmental, economic, and public health benefits, reducing the state’s dependence on coal-fired power plants that produce copious amounts of carbon dioxide, mercury, and pollutants related to the formation of smog and soot. Indeed, Ohio ranks in the top five states nationally for power plant emissions of several key pollutants.

Ohio isn’t the only state saddled with polluting power plants. Harmful coal fired power plants still compose 45% of power generation in the U.S. But, slowly, we are adopting more clean energy. The United States added more solar energy in the first three quarters of 2012 than was installed in all of 2011. In a way that is telling of the national trend, President Obama declared clean energy a priority in his second inauguration speech, saying, “The path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult. But Americans cannot resist this transition, we must lead it.”

Ohio missed a golden opportunity to help lead the transition toward a clean energy future by turning down Turning Point. Let’s hope that Ohio officials find other ways to continue the momentum toward clean energy in the Buckeye State and that officials in other states don’t make the same mistake.