In Ohio, solar is no big threat to farmland
Golf courses use nearly triple the farmland solar does statewide, and suburban sprawl five times more, according to a new SEIA land-use map.
Energy
Ohio has made $314 million by opening state lands to fracking
Signing bonuses and early royalty payments signal Ohio’s decision to open state parks and wildlife areas to fracking means big money for the state. Environmentalists say it’s not worth the tradeoff.
Ohio ratepayers’ summer electric bills could top $800, report says
A Third Way report blames Trump administration policies for blocking clean energy while propping up coal, as Ohioans face 17% bill increases amid a $1 billion utility scandal.
New Ohio bill could hamstring big wind and solar farms even more
Senate Bill 294, backed by fossil fuel groups, would require solar and wind projects to prove 50% reliability, a standard solar advocates say is unachievable and would block projects the state already favors less than gas and nuclear.
As Trump buyouts shake offshore wind industry, states hope developers stay in the game
Trump's $2.5 billion in buyout deals to kill offshore wind projects threaten state climate goals, prompting seven states to sue over what they call illegal lease cancellations.
More on Energy
FirstEnergy bribery scandal haunts Jon Husted's Senate race as Ohio ratepayers keep paying
Husted testified as a defense witness in the bribery trial this spring, as Ohio ratepayers continue paying hundreds of millions for the bailout he championed.
Ohio summer electric bills head toward $745 as Tiffin swelters in heat wave
A PUCO settlement promised bill relief, but consumer groups say temporary tax credits will expire, leaving Ohio households facing rate hikes of up to $10 monthly by 2028.
A sweaty Fourth of July ahead for the US as extreme heat descends on 20 states
Heat index could reach 115 degrees across 20 states this Fourth of July weekend, affecting over 200 million people amid major celebrations and travel.
Ohio Supreme Court upholds utility commission decision allowing coal plant bailout fee
The court rejected arguments from manufacturers and environmental groups that utilities overcharged customers $115 million for unprofitable coal plants.
PJM gets green light to push data centers onto back-up power during heat wave
The emergency orders also allow power plants to exceed pollution limits through July 3 as demand is expected to set a new grid record.
More than 15,000 acres of Ohio public land approved to be fracked by out-of-state companies
Gov. DeWine just signed a bill to speed up fracking approvals on state parks, as the commission approved $241 million in bids from Texas and Oklahoma companies.
Citizens Utility Board of Ohio questions programs that keep aging power plants running
The report says cost-recovery programs hide inefficiency from consumers, but PJM defends them as necessary for grid reliability amid data center growth.
Ohio officials to vote on opening 23,000 acres of public lands to fracking
State officials are scheduled to vote Monday to open or select a winning bid on about 23,000 acres of publicly owned wildlife preserves. This would significantly expand oil and gas exploration on Ohio’s public lands.
Legal protections for submetered renters saved by DeWine veto
Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed legislation that would have rolled back a new legal protection extended to renters at “submetered” apartments.
Ohio Democrats urge Gov. DeWine to veto submetering bill
Seven Ohio Senate Democrats joined House members in the veto push, citing a unanimous Supreme Court ruling last month that submetering firms must be regulated as utilities.
Ohio has blocked a lot of wind and solar. Its residents pay the price.
A Save Ohio Parks analysis finds Ohio blocked 5.3 GW of clean energy over 12 years, as Senate Bill 294 moves to make solar and wind approvals even harder.
Trump to pump $700M into coal power in the states, as he again blasts renewable energy
Trump invoked the Defense Production Act to fund coal plants and mines across nine states, drawing praise from GOP governors and fire from environmental groups who call it a polluter bailout.
Data center opponents give Ohio lawmakers an earful
Residents demanded a data center moratorium, citing water contamination risks, secrecy through NDAs, and inadequate state oversight during the committee's only public hearing.
6,000-acre solar project permit nixed by Ohio Supreme Court, for now at least
The state's Republican-led high court sided with Madison County officials who opposed the Shell subsidiary's project, citing missing visual renderings of substations.
Ohio utilities report subpar grid reliability as they seek a lower bar
Duke Energy and FirstEnergy want weaker reliability rules even as they miss current standards for the tenth consecutive year, drawing pushback from consumer advocates.
