Government Energy Policy, Business and Technology

John Kasich to the rescue: Governor vetoes attack on Ohio's clean energy

PV Tech: Ohio governor John Kasich has stuck to his guns and vetoed a bill that sought to make compliance for investor-owned utilities (IOUs) with the state’s energy standards voluntary, as opposed to mandatory, for a further two years.

HB 554 was successfully vetoed on Tuesday, to the delight of the clean energy industry. The renewable portfolio standards will now go back into effect on January, after a two-year suspension that began in 2014. Ohio utilities will then be required to procure 12.5% of their energy from renewable sources by 2025.

“Ohio workers cannot afford to take a step backward from the economic gains that we have made in recent years, however, and arbitrarily limiting Ohio’s energy generation options amounts to self-inflicted damage to both our state’s near and long-term economic competitiveness,” the Republican said of his decision in a statement.

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