Senator Steve Wilson, the Chair of the Energy and Public Utilities Committee, thinks Ohio’s energy policy needs updating. The last one was prepared in 1986, when coal accounted for 80% of electricity generation and nuclear supplying the other 20%. Natural gas was four times the current price. And solar was only powering calculators and road signs. Things have changed.
Wilson is focused on identifying what he refers to as ‘pillars’, things such as reliability, stable prices, and an appropriate generation mix. He views this as a 30,000-foot policy that can be used to evaluate more granular proposals like siting for wind farms, siting pipelines, and subsidies for various technologies.
OPAE has met with Senator Wilson. He understands that price and reliability have a special impact on our clients, and welcomes OPAE’s participation in the process. Expect more updates in the coming months.