Ask Your State Legislators to Say YES! to Clean Energy & More Sustainable Transportation
We need your help to ensure that our legislative priorities are being heard in Columbus.
In recent years, the Ohio legislature has made it harder for individuals and businesses to enjoy the benefits of both cheaper, clean, renewable energy and a more sustainable transportation sector. But lawmakers are currently considering three (3) bills that would encourage energy efficiency, allow for the development of community solar projects, and accelerate the transition away from internal combustion engines and towards zero emission vehicles.
We need you to contact your state legislators, and ask them to vote YES on HB 389, HB 450 and SB 307. The three (3) sample messages below have been designed to help you (using the Message Box method) to communicate with lawmakers over the phone, in a letter, or via electronic mail.
Find your state representatives and state senators to contact using maps from the Ohio Legislature here. By contacting your state legislators and asking them to vote YES on HB 389, HB 450 and SB 307, you will help us move toward a future with cleaner air, cheaper energy and a better transportation system.
HOUSE BILL 389
Problem: In 2019, House Bill 6 ended Ohio’s utility sponsored electric energy efficiency programs.
Solution: HB 389 would allow electric utilities to offer customers opportunities to participate in household energy efficiency programs. Cosponsored by Rep. Bill Seitz and Rep. David Leland, HB389 has gained support from business interests, consumer protection groups, and environmental organizations. Proponents for passing HB389 include electric utility American Electric Power, Ohio Partners for Affordable Energy, and the Ohio Environmental Council. HB389 has earned bi-partisan political support too. On November 18, 2021, legislators on the Public Utilities committee approved a substitute version of HB389 with a unanimous 17 to 0 vote.
Action: We need lawmakers to vote YES on HB 389 before the end of this year.
Benefit: The establishment of voluntary energy efficiency programs will allow Ohio’s electricity consumers to conserve energy and save money. When implemented at scale, waste reduction and efficiency improvements also provide for economic expansion without increased investment in capacity. Weighing all factors, HB389 would be a win for Ohio consumers, the business community, and for the environment.
HOUSE BILL 450
Problem: Rooftop solar can be prohibitively expensive for individual homeowners and small business owners, and Ohio law does not allow neighbors to collectively fund the development of community solar projects. HB450 will permit development of community solar.
Community solar is an attractive option for electric consumers interested in using clean energy without making the high initial investment required to install solar panels on private property. This unique type of project utilizes a central solar power plant whose energy can be shared potentially by thousands of people with either subscription or ownership plans. CSP plans are flexible and consumer friendly. They are perfect for consumers who rent or can’t install a solar array on their property.
Solution: House Bill 450 will amend Ohio’s energy policy to encourage the development of community solar projects, by authorizing the Public Utilities Commission to license solar energy generating facilities that meet specific requirements and allow for community subscribers to offset their utility supplied electric with power generated from project arrays.
The Sierra Club supports passage of HB450 because our members understand that solar generation is a renewable, clean energy source. Community solar saves consumers money because excess generation can be sold to utility companies. And like other renewable sources, electricity produced from solar helps reduce American demand for foreign energy sources. Many Ohioans would like to install a solar system, but their homes lack the characteristics to make that possible. HB 450 will expand those opportunities and, at the same time, expand the state’s energy resources.
Action: We need state lawmakers to vote YES on HB 450 when they return to session in November, and before the session ends on December 31, 2022.
Benefit: When it becomes law, HB 450 will authorize the adoption of distributed community solar to make renewable energy more accessible and electricity more affordable, all while fighting climate change and promoting environmental justice.
SENATE BILL 307
Problem: Emissions related to the consumption of fossil fuels by the transportation sector account for more than a third of our total carbon output. Luckily, the automotive sector is increasingly moving towards electric vehicles which would dramatically reduce these harmful emissions. Now is the time to take action on legislation that will protect and expand Ohio’s investment in electric vehicle production!
Solution: Senate Bill 307 would accelerate Ohio’s transition to a zero-emission future by encouraging the development of electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure, as well as the manufacturing and sales of EVs, and would make them more affordable for consumers.
Action: We need state lawmakers to vote YES on SB 307 by the end of this year!
Benefit: With the passage of SB 307, cleaner, electric vehicles will be more widely available in Ohio. Cheaper, more available EVs for the average consumer will help to improve air quality locally and help to combat climate change globally.