Courtesy of North American Windpower, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has upheld the ruling of a state energy board that granted all state and local permits to Cape Wind, clearing the way for the construction of the 420 MW offshore wind farm to proceed on Nantucket Sound. The court rejected the opponents' claims that the siting board did not properly consider the environmental impacts of the transmission lines associated with the wind project, and found the board's decision on that point to be "supported by substantial evidence in the record." Cape Wind now has in hand all federal and state permits needed to construct the wind farm.

San Francisco-based One Block Off the Grid (1BOG), the nation’s largest solar group purchasing company, launched a new program to support Cleveland-area homeowners through the solar buying process. Homeowners who join the free online group are eligible for a 15 percent group discount rate and advice and tools for installing solar systems.

1BOG selected Astrum Solar, the Maryland-based solar developer that recently set up shop in Youngstown to service the group’s installs for the program’s three-month duration. The 1BOG Cleveland solar group purchase program is available to Cleveland-area homeowners through November 30, 2010. For more information, visit the 1BOG Solar Cleveland homepage.

NorTech, a nonprofit trying to excite growth in northeast Ohio’s advanced-energy economy, wants to craft growth strategies in four advanced-energy sectors, according to a recent article published in the Cleveland Plain dealer. 

According to NorTech, the following four advanced-energy sectors have the greatest potential for growth in the region:

• Biomass and waste energy—producing energy with plant- or waste-based fuels

• Energy storage—storing energy in batteries and other devices

• Smart grid—using energy more efficiently in the nation’s power grid

• Transportation electrification—powering electric vehicles.

According to the article, the promise of profits from algal-based fuels already has researchers interested, including those from the Ohio Aerospace Institute in Brook Park, the Ohio State University and Cleveland State University.

The New York Times recently reported that the military is raising concerns over wind turbines and the effect they have on radar systems. This is the newest example of two White House agencies clashing over competing policies - specifically Energy and Defense - as they relate to promoting advanced energy development across the country.

As recently reported in the Business Journal, the Youngstown City Council has passed legislation that would give the city Board of Control the authority to negotiate a 30-year lease with M&J Development LLC to develop a center that would use new technology to convert algae into biofuels.

The company plans to spend $2.5 million to construct the center, the legislation stated.

Finance Director David Bozanich said the Board of Control would negotiate a price for the land and that the project would be a prime candidate for state funding through its Third Frontier program. "They've leased algae-to-energy technology from Israel," Bozanich said.

Bozanich also said the city is happy to help the venture by negotiating a lease that could lead to the creation of more jobs and a new direction for alternative energy manufacturing in the Mahoning Valley. The startup effort should lead to the creation of 20 jobs at first, Bozanich said. Should this technology take hold, the potential for job creation is much greater, he said.

State Senator Bill Seitz (R-Cincinnati) introduced a bill to amend the filing requirements for applicants seeking certification from the Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB). The bill, SB 297, adds county commissioners, and the trustees and residents of the township(s) in which an energy project would be located to the list of parties to be notified of an OPSB application. Current law requires applicants to notify the chief executive officers and residents of affected municipal corporations and counties, without specifying precisely which county officials and residents should receive the notice.

Registration is now open for the renewable energy roadshow coming to the Columbus Hyatt Regency on Sept. 29. Sponsored by the German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest, the roadshow will focus on the wind and solar industries' supply chains. Admission is $65 for Chamber members and $75 for nonmembers.

The Ohio Power Siting Board on Monday approved agreements authorizing the development of two wind farms in Northwest Ohio. The board gave its approval to Iberdrola Renewables' Blue Creek Wind Farm in Paulding and Van Wert counties. The project, as approved, will consist of 159 wind turbines spread across 1,700 acres and provide up to 350 megawatts (MW) of generating capacity. The board also approved Horizon Wind Energy's Timber Road Wind Farm in Paulding County. Plans call for it to consist of 32 wind turbines on 5,700 acres and provide up to 48.6 MW.

The (Lorain) Morning Journal has an article about a Sheffield Village, Ohio, engineering firm that has created a potential blockbuster technology for the so-called "middle wind market." ADI Wind LLC's product is a wind-turbine gearbox with two gears, replacing the four to six sets of gears in a conventional gearbox.

The ADI prototype, made from recycled titanium, multiplies the revolutions of turbine propellers 38 times, allowing smaller generators to create the same amount of electric power as much larger generators, according to the article. The gearbox would be used for turbines that generate between 100 kilowatts and one megawatt, for applications including schools, shopping centers and hospitals, sometimes called the middle wind or community wind market.

Governor Ted Strickland and Ohio State University President Gordon Gee were on hand yesterday in Upper Sandusky to help unveil the largest solar installation in Ohio and one of the largest such facilities east of the Mississippi River. The 80-acre, 12-megawatt facility is owned by New Jersey-based PSEG Solar Source, but was built by Ohio workers with much of the equipment produced in-state. With more than 159,000 ground-mounted panels, the solar farm produces enough emission-free electricity to power about 1,500 homes.

The Ohio State University Extension helped Wyandot County officials study the project and organize public forums. Juwi Solar Inc. developed the solar farm. Vaughn Industries, based in Wyandot County, was the primary construction contractor. Ohio residents filled nearly all of the construction jobs created by the project. First Solar, which has a major manufacturing plant in Perrysburg, OH, supplied the solar panels. Myers Controlled Power of North Canton, OH, provided the power stations.

American Electric Power subsidiaries Columbus Southern Power and Ohio Power companies have a long-term agreement with PSEG Solar Source to purchase the electricity generated at the farm.

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) has introduced legislation that would provide tax incentives for clean energy manufacturing, renewable energy, and conservation. Among other things, the Clean Energy Technology Leadership Act of 2010 would

• provide additional funding for the advanced energy manufacturing credit and uncap the credit for solar energy property, fuel cell power plans, and advanced energy storage systems, including batteries for advanced vehicles;
• extend the excise tax credit for biodiesel and renewable diesel retroactively for 2010 and through 2012;
• provide an additional $3.5 billion for clean renewable energy bonds; and
• extend the research and development tax credit retroactively for 2010 and through 2012, and provide an additional 10 percent credit for qualified advanced energy research expenditures.

In a press release announcing the legislation, Sen. Kerry said that while he will continue to press for comprehensive climate and energy legislation, this new bill would help move the country's energy policy in the right direction.

Maryland-based solar company Astrum Solar announced that it has entered the Ohio market and opened a 25-person office in Youngstown. The company, which installs solar panel systems on residential and small commercial properties, said it is responding to the growing demand of Ohio and Western Pennsylvania energy consumers aspiring to become clean energy producers. Astrum started selling solar systems in Northeast Ohio in April. Besides Ohio, the company has operations in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington D.C. 

The 25-person Youngstown office installs solar panel systems throughout Ohio and Western Pennsylvania. Already one of the largest residential solar panel system installers in Pennsylvania, Astrum said the Youngstown office will bolster its ability to serve homeowners throughout the region.

Building on the success of the last two years’ Roadshows, The Annual Renewables & Energy Efficiency Roadshow will be in Columbus on September 29, 2010. The show, part of the Transatlantic Climate Bridge, is sponsored by the German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest, the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany Chicago and the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany.

The primary objective of the Roadshow is to “open a dialog of partnership between two of the world’s leading countries in developing and implementing new renewable and energy efficiency technologies.” Sponsorship packages are available for the local events and for the entire Roadshow.

For more information, please contact Bernadett Steiner, Renewables Project Manager, at Steiner@gaccom.org or call 312.494.2180. 

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio has unanimously approved the certification of two units at FirstEnergy’s R.E. Burger facility as a renewable energy resource capable of generating and selling renewable energy credits (REC) in Ohio. Located in Belmont County, Ohio, the two, 156 MW units at the Burger facility have been modified to generate electricity through the co-firing of biomass feedstock and coal. Unlike other renewable energy facilities certificated by the PUCO, including other biomass facilities, the Burger facility’s certification could post a threat to Ohio’s renewable energy marketplace. The reason is simple: a recent amendment to SB 221 will give greater weight to certain RECs from the Burger facility—the only biomass facility able to satisfy the statutory prerequisites. More details to follow.

Courtesy of North American Windpower, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is extending the application deadline for the July 2009 energy efficiency, renewable energy, and advanced transmission and distribution technologies solicitation. The new Part I application deadline is now Oct 5. This gives companies an additional six weeks to apply for a loan guarantee under Section 1705, provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The extension creates an eighth round of solicitations by the DOE's Loan Guarantee Program and is intended to give companies additional time to develop and submit Part I applications. The Part II application deadline is still Dec. 31. More information on the program is available here.

An article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that building and maintaining power-generating wind turbines on Lake Erie could support up to 8,000 jobs and cost $31 billion by the year 2030, according to a recent economic-impact study commissioned by NorTech.

The analysis offers no opinion about the feasibility of erecting five massive turbines on Lake Erie by 2012, but says they could potentially pave the way for up to 1,200 more lake turbines by 2030. Wind power advocates believe such a project could spur a 5,000-megawatt array generating up to $7.8 billion in wages and $587 million in state and local tax revenues over 20 years.

Dr. Frank Calzonetti, vice president for research and development for The University of Toledo, will be one of a handful of panelists from around the nation appearing at the Clean Energy Economic Forum at the White House today. The only speaker representing higher education at the forum, Calzonetti will join the Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke, senior government economic officials, and members of the private sector. Calzonetti will participate in a panel discussion on invention and innovation with John Fernandez, assistant secretary of the U.S. Economic Development Administration, and Joyce Ferris, founder and managing partner of investment firm Blue Hill Partners. A second panel on commercialization and competitiveness will follow.

Navigant Consulting, the consulting company that is handling FirstEnergy's renewable energy credit ("REC") request for proposal ("RFP") process (see here for more information), will host a webinar registration for participants on July 15 at 11 a.m.  To participate in the 2010 RFP webinar, participants must register at: https://insidenci.webex.com/mw0306l/mywebex/default.do?service=1&siteurl=insidenci&nomenu=true&main_url=%2Fmc0805l%2Fe.do%3Fsiteurl%3Dinsidenci%26AT%3DMI%26EventID%3D141443712%26UID%3D0%26Host%3D9363ca5e2735543f1e4805%26RG%3D1%26FrameSet%3D2. Participants must register at FirstEnergy's RFP site and Navigant's site to be eligible. Questions should be directed to rfp@navigantconsulting.com or 516.876.4036.

The Ohio Department of Development, through its Energy Resources division, is now accepting applications for $10 million in grant funding available through the Deploying Renewable Energy: Transforming Waste to Value program. The money is designed for job creation via projects that will convert Ohio’s feedstock waste—including municipal solid wastes, farm wastes and other biomass or waste materials—into electricity, heat, fuel, and/or other bio products. The state hopes to build market demand for Ohio manufacturers and distributors of bio-digester components, biomass or waste conversion equipment, and electric generation equipment. 

Mark Shanahan, energy advisor to Governor Ted Strickland, explained that transforming Ohio’s farm waste into energy can only benefit the food and agriculture industries throughout the state. “These funds will help drive investment in sustainable and profitable energy technologies and build upon Ohio’s existing strengths in those areas,” he said. The program is part of the $96 million allocated to Ohio through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act State Energy Program.

Grant awards will be selected through a competitive process and will range from $500,000 to $1 million per project. All eligible projects must be located within the state of Ohio, include a match investment of a minimum of 25 percent of the total cost of the project, be completed within 12 months, and provide a direct economic impact to Ohio by creating and retaining jobs. 

A one-page project summary must be submitted to the Energy Resources division of the Ohio Department of Development no later than 3 p.m. on Monday, August 16, 2010.

For more information visit: 
http://www.development.ohio.gov/recovery/energy/fundingopportunities.htm#State_Energy_Program

FirstEnergy's Ohio utilities – Ohio Edison, Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company and Toledo Edison – are initiating a Request for Proposal (RFP) process for renewable energy credits to help meet requirements established under Senate Bill 221.  The RFP process, which will include renewable energy credits (RECs) and solar renewable energy credits (SRECs), will be managed by Navigant Consulting. The RFP, which will be held August 3, 2010, is seeking RECs and SRECs for 2010 and 2011.  For 2010, the companies are requesting bids for SRECs generated from within Ohio and SRECs that can be deliverable into Ohio, and RECs generated from within Ohio. For 2011, the companies need both SRECs and RECs generated from within Ohio or deliverable into Ohio. More information on the RFP is available here. Potential bidders can also visit the RFP website.

In a recent interview conducted by Newsweek magazine with Nathan Myhrvold, cofounder of Intellectual Ventures (a scientific think tank working on solutions to some of the world’s greatest challenges), the future of alternative energy and geo-engineering is far from certain. Myhrvold says there’s a limit to how much renewable energy can actually be produced from wind and solar power. “People will talk about getting up to 30 percent of America’s power from renewables, but you can’t get to 100 percent because of their unreliability.”

Myhrvold goes on to say that unless someone can come up with a way of increasing the efficiency of batteries by a factor of 10, then “I’m afraid the use of batteries in electric power and transportation is going to be limited.” While convinced that we will continue to burn coal to generate most of the world’s energy for many years to come, he remains optimistic about the future: “I think that these [energy] problems can be solved. But I want to be clear: they have not been solved yet.”

For more information see: http://www.newsweek.com/2010/05/29/these-problems-can-be-solved.html

Governor Ted Strickland will be in Toledo today with local officials to announce an Ohio Hub of Innovation and Opportunity. The Ohio Hubs program leverages an area’s resources and investments to attract clusters of connected businesses, encourage new investments and an influx of talented workers, and create new opportunities to create jobs and develop Ohio’s key industries. The event will be held at 1:15 today at the University of Toledo's Scott Park Campus of Energy and Innovation. More information on the Ohio Hubs program is available here.

The Columbus Dispatch has an article detailing a clean energy conference held in Columbus this week. Business leaders at the inaugural event--dubbed Innovation Starts Here--discussed the need for a comprehensive and coherent climate and energy policy at the federal level. There conference was sponsored in part by The Ohio Business Council for a Clean Economy, an advocacy group composed of Ohio businesses that support climate legislation.

Clean Fuels Ohio showed off a fleet of propane-powered vehicles this week at Port Columbus International Airport. Together with its partners Alliance AutoGas and Columbus Yellow Cab, Clean Fuels Ohio hosted an event featuring taxis, airport shuttles, school buses and an ambulance, all powered by propane. Clean Fuels Ohio is collaborating with the Department of Energy and numerous Ohio businesses and organizations to fund deployment of approximately 300 alternative fuel vehicles and 15 refueling stations over the next two years through the Ohio Advanced Transportation Partnership.

Governor Ted Strickland signed into law Ohio Senate Bill 232, which eliminates Ohio's tangible personal property tax and real taxes on generation for renewable and advanced energy project facilities that begin construction before January 1, 2012, produce energy by 2013 (or 2017 for nuclear, clean coal and cogeneration projects) and create Ohio jobs. The bill allows companies that are seeking to build advanced energy generation facilities in Ohio to make an annual payment in lieu of taxes, thereby bringing Ohio's tax rates for these kinds of projects in line with surrounding states. More information on S.B. 232 is available here.

Governor Strickland and Ohio Department of Development Director Lisa Patt-McDaniel also announced the start of a new $6 million jobs program, the Energizing Careers Program, for training Ohio's workforce for green energy careers. The program--funded through a U.S. Department of Labor grant--will reimburse the cost of training up to $6,000 for full-time employees, with preferential project funding to companies located in the 44 Ohio counties impacted by the restructuring of the auto industry. A list of those counties is can be found here.

The state is now accepting requests for proposals from companies looking to train employees for green jobs. To obtain a copy of the request for proposal, visit the Governor's Workforce Policy Advisory Board website at www.ohioworkforceboard.org. The deadline for companies to submit their one-page project summaries and their proposals on the recovery.ohio.gov/opportunities/state/ website will be 4:00 p.m. on July 30, 2010.

On June 9, The Cleveland - First Suburbs Solar Special Improvement District Pilot Program (District) was awarded an EfficientGovNow grant after voters cast nearly 17,500 votes in May. The grant-winning program, called “Let the Sun Shine In,” is intended to assist local businesses in implementing solar energy. Cleveland’s Fund for Our Economic Future, which issues the grants, called the program – the first of its kind in Ohio – “a novel effort to stimulate greater use of solar electricity.” 

The goal of “Let the Sun Shine In” is to build a financing mechanism to make solar photovoltaic and solar thermal projects more financially feasible. The program will create a solar special improvement district (SID) to facilitate solar improvement projects within its member communities, as allowed recently under House Bill 1 and Senate Bill 232. With an anticipated budget of over $5 million, the program is expected to serve about 911,000 people in the Cleveland metropolitan area. After the pilot program, the District anticipates soon adding programs for energy efficiency, wind, geothermal and biomass.

The program is a collaboration between the First Suburbs Consortium Development Council, a not-for-profit organization aimed at fostering economic and community development in Cleveland-area suburbs, and the City of Cleveland. A key goal of the City of Cleveland and First Suburbs is increasing private sector interest in development projects within its sixteen suburban member communities.

EfficientGovNow “is a competitive grant awards program that encourages and accelerates government collaboration, cooperation and efficiency by providing rounds of funding to government collaboration projects as selected by the residents of Northeast Ohio.” The Cleveland – First Suburbs solar program was one of four proposals to win the grant, which is funded in part by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and overseen by the Kent State Center for Public Administration and Public Policy. The program will receive disbursements of the $100,000 grant in stages, as it reaches certain benchmarks.

Thanks to Daniel Gerken, Bricker & Eckler Summer Associate, for his contributions to this post.

Crain's Cleveland Business has an article this week (subscription required) detailing the efforts of the First Suburbs Consortium Development Council to create a special improvement district ("SID") for Cleveland's inner-ring suburbs that would help property owners finance energy-saving projects for their properties. Those efforts are made possible by the Ohio General Assembly's recent passage of Senate Bill 232, which, among other things, expands the availability of municipal special improvement district ("SID") financing, currently only available for solar projects, to include other renewable and advanced energy projects.

In the article, Bricker & Eckler partner Raymond C. Headen explains how the SID legislation allows private property owners to take advantage of the same type of financing governments use to build and maintain sidewalks, roads, sewers and other basic infrastructure. For more information on the SID component of S.B. 232, visit Bricker's updated SID resources page, available here.

Bricker & Eckler has a batch of new material on its website regarding Ohio Senate Bill 232, enacted by the Ohio General Assembly last week, which will reform the tax code for renewable and advanced energy generators utilizing technologies such as wind, solar, co-generation and clean coal. For more information, visit: http://www.bricker.com/services/resource-details.aspx?resourceid=146.

American Municipal Power, Inc.,  a Columbus-based power wholesaler, is making headlines on a variety of fronts these days. This week, it announced plans to team with Maryland-based Standard Energy LLC to develop up to 300 megawatts of solar power, potentially making it one of the country's largest solar developers. As reported by The Akron Beacon Journal, AMP would offer solar-generated electricity to its 128 member communities in Ohio and five other states. Other news of the deal can be found here and here.  AMP is also developing two hydroelectric projects on the Ohio River, in addition to the one it already operates.

AMP has also been in the news because of its plans to retire its Richard H. Gorsuch coal-fired power plant in eastern Ohio as part of a settlement resolving alleged violations of federal clean air laws, as reported by The New York Times and a variety of other news outlets (see here, here and here). AMP agreed to spend more than $15 million to settle the lawsuit, stemming from allegations that AMP made modifications to the power plant without obtaining the proper permits and installing necessary pollution controls. AMP's consent decree with the U.S. EPA and Justice Department is available here.

The Ohio General Assembly early this morning passed a tax-cut bill for renewable and alternative energy producers that supporters say will help jumpstart the growth of Ohio's green economy. Senate Bill 232, if signed by the governor, would exempt eligible alternative energy projects--including wind, solar, and advanced nuclear technology--from tangible personal property taxes. Such projects would instead make a payment in lieu of taxes to local authorities. Under the bill, the effective tax rates for eligible projects dropped from $100,000 to $7,000 per megawatt of energy generation from a solar facility, and from $40,000 to no more than $9,000 per megawatt of generation from a wind facility. Projects that produce less than 250 kilowatts are exempt from taxation under the bill. 

The bill also expands the availability of municipal special improvement district ("SID") financing, currently only available for solar projects, to include other renewable and advanced energy projects. Under SID financing, a municipality or township levies a special assessment on the participating property owners’ real property that may last for up to 25 years. Assessment revenue may be used to pay the debt service on “special obligation” revenue bonds, the proceeds of which cover the costs of renewable and advanced energy projects. S.B. 232 expands eligible technologies to include solar photovoltaic, solar thermal energy, wind energy, geothermal energy, and energy efficiency technologies.

An emergency clause was added to the bill that will make it effective upon its signing by Governor Ted Strickland, instead of the usual 90 days. The Governor has said he plans to sign the bill into law. A copy of the bill can be found here. 

The bill passed the Ohio House by a vote of 91 to 7, and was later endorsed by the Senate by a vote of 27 to 5. To qualify for the tax treatment, developers must submit an application to the Ohio Department of Development before 2012. Clean coal projects are also eligible if applications are submitted before 2014. 

While solar projects will be subject to a flat $7,000 per megawatt payment, all other eligible projects will pay between $6,000 and $8,000 per megawatt based on the number of Ohio residents the projects hire as full-time employees. A major point of contention during negotiations on the bill was a provision that would allow local boards of county commissioners to approve or deny a project and additional requirements. Under the final version of the bill, counties can impose additional charges on eligible projects, but the total payment cannot exceed $9,000 per megawatt of nameplate capacity.

Bricker & Eckler's Green Strategies group will develop a more detailed summary of the bill next week. For further information, please contact Terrence O'Donnell or Mark Engel of Bricker & Eckler's Green Strategies Group or visit Bricker & Eckler's website at www.bricker.com.

With likely federal regulation of carbon dioxide emissions on the horizon, the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority approved grants at its May meeting of up to $3 million to study the suitability of Eastern Ohio’s geology for CO2 sequestration. OAQDA approved grants from its Ohio Coal Development Office program to Battelle Memorial Institute of up to $2.2 million, and to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources of up to $800,000.

Columbus Business First has an article detailing the Ohio General Assembly’s attempts to reconcile competing House and Senate bills that would rework the tax code for renewable energy projects. Governor Ted Strickland is pushing for a resolution before the legislature’s summer recess starts early this month.

The bills—S.B. 223 and H.B. 464—differ in several ways. S.B. 232, passed by the Senate in May, would apply the new tax treatment to advanced energy projects—such as nuclear power—as well as renewable projects, such as wind and solar. H.B. 464 applies only to wind and solar projects. Also different is the tax mechanism itself. S.B. 232 would apply a flat $7,000 per megawatt annual fee to eligible projects. H.B. 464 would apply an annual per megawatt fee starting at $6,000 based on the number of Ohio residents employed at a particular project. Additionally, S.B. 232 would give local county commissioners the right to deny, approve or change a project. H.B. 464 does not have a similar provision. The story can be found here (subscription required).

At the American Wind Energy Association's annual trade show in Dallas, Texas, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland announced plans for the placement of five wind turbines in Lake Erie by 2012. This experimental project features a unique partnership between the Lake Erie Energy Development Corp. (LEEDCo), a non-profit company in Cleveland, and General Electric--and would result in the first operating off-shore wind farm in the United States.

For more information, see http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2010/05/strickland_cleveland_wind_proj.html

The Ohio Senate on Tuesday, May 18, passed by a vote of 28 to 4 Senate Bill 232, which would exempt qualifying renewable and advanced energy projects from property taxation. In lieu of property tax, an owner of such a facility would make annual service payments equal to $7,000 per megawatt of the facility's generating capacity. The version of the bill that passed the Senate includes a significant new requirement that was absent in the as-introduced version: in addition to receiving approval from the Ohio Director of Development, an owner of an eligible facility would also have to receive the approval of the board of county commissioners in any county in which the facility is located. Importantly, commissioners would be able to add additional requirements to the certification process. A copy of the bill can be found here.

S.B. 232 also contains provisions that would expand special improvement district energy projects and the municipal solar energy revolving loan program--established in 2009--to include energy efficiency, and advanced and renewable energy projects. S.B. 232 now goes to the Ohio House, which is considering its own tax-exemption bill for renewable projects. That bill, H.B. 464, would cover only wind and solar projects.

The Ohio Supreme Court recently affirmed the ruling of the Ohio Power Siting Board granting FirstEnergy's transmission affiliate a certificate for the construction of a new transmission line in Geauga County, Ohio. You can read the Opinion here. Wind developers going through the Ohio Power Siting Board process, however, should take note of the strong concurring opinion of Justice Pfeiffer. Justice Pfeiffer expressed his concerns that the Board "may not be giving appropriate consideration to aesthetic values." Further explaining his position, Justice Pfeiffer noted that the "members of the Power Siting Board should ensure that their staff members are aware of the importance of preserving nature and scenery when considering sites for utility resources, without of course unduly sacrificing economic impact."

A new report by economic development group Team NEO finds that Northeast Ohio has the building blocks in place to capitalize on growth in "green" industries. Among other things, the report finds that advanced and renewable energy equipment suppliers collectively represent $12.5 billion, or 7.5 percent of Northeast Ohio’s economy today. The report also finds that Northeast Ohio is producing 600 percent more fabricated metal than the national average, positioning the region for global exports to wind turbine manufacturers. Press reports on the report are here, here and here.

This month's Forbes magazine has two articles that illustrate just how far the new "green economy" is reaching. The first details how retailing giant Wal-Mart has teamed up with eco-friendly clothing retailer Patagonia to "green" Wal-Mart's supply chain. The second profiles mining magnate Ross Beaty's aggressive move into the geothermal power business.

The Ohio Department of Development is soliciting applications for the Alternative Fuel Transportation Grant Program for the purchase and installation of blended biodiesel, blended gasoline refueling and fuel blending stations. The goal of the program is to increase the availability and use of alternative fuels for motor vehicles and to establish these blending facilities in Ohio.

The program is available for:

• Conversion of existing retail facilities to blended biodiesel or blended gasoline retail facilities;
• New installation of blended biodiesel or blended gasoline retail facilities; or
• New installation of blended biodiesel or blended gasoline fuel blending facilities.

The grant award will cover 80 percent of the total eligible project costs or a maximum grant award of $10,000 for conversion retail facilities, $40,000 for installation of new retail facilities, or $200,000 for installation of new blending facilities, whichever is less. Application forms are available here.

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio has certified a portion of FirstEnergy subsidiary Toledo Edison's Bay Shore power plant in Oregon, Ohio, as an eligible Ohio renewable energy resource generating facility. According to the company's application for certification, Bay Shore Unit 1 uses solid biomass fuel as its renewable energy resource by co-firing wood pellets and/or briquettes along with petcoke.

Courtesy of the Post Carbon blog at The Washington Post, the U.S. Department of Commerce has released reports analyzing greenhouse gas emissions and the scope of the country's "green economy." According to the Post, the emissions report found that greenhouse gas emissions grew more slowly than the overall economy between 1997 and 2007, indicating that the country was becoming more energy-efficient. In its "green economy" report, the department found that "green" products and services comprised between 1 and 2 percent of the U.S. economy in 2007. The report also found that the United States has between 1.8 million to 2.4 million green jobs.

In case you missed it, The Columbus Dispatch reported that Ohio State University and Battelle will "share a nearly $4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to create a bioreactor to produce butanol, an alternative fuel." The project is one of 37 clean energy projects sharing $106 million in federal grants. A release from the Energy Department noted that the project will use a bioreacter to "incorporate genetically engineered bacteria that metabolize carbon dioxide, oxygen, and hydrogen to produce butanol. The team anticipates at least a twofold productivity improvement over current levels and a cost that can be competitive with gasoline."

After speaking in support of offshore wind energy development last month in Cleveland, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown has introduced a bill called the Program for Offshore Wind Energy Research and Development (POWERED) Act of 2010. The bill would provide grants to conduct research and analysis on implementation of offshore wind power projects, expand incentives for offshore wind development, and require the Department of Energy (DOE) to develop a comprehensive roadmap to overcome the technical and regulatory barriers to deployment of offshore wind. The full text of the bill can be found here.

The most recent issue of Forbes magazine has an interesting, quick read on a Danish company that produces what's been dubbed "clean ethanol." The company, Novozymes, makes cellulosic ethanol, a form of the fuel produced by converting plant waste or nonfood crops like switchgrass. According to the article, "[t]hat sidesteps the problems of fuel ethanol made from food crops like corn: that it competes with human consumption and is environmentally dubious." The company is building a plant in Emmetsburg, Iowa, that will produce cellulosic ethanol.

Governor Ted Strickland announced that the Ohio State University and Cuyahoga Community College received $3.2 million in federal stimulus money for "smart grid" workforce training and development programs. OSU's grant is $2.5 million and CCC's is $700,000. Business First's coverage is here. A primer on smart grid technology is here.   

The PUCO last week approved two Southwestern Ohio clean energy projects. In one order, the Commission approved an agreement between the University of Cincinnati and Duke Energy Ohio that would permit UC to fully convert its 48 megawatt gas generating facility from natural gas to an alternative energy source. A copy of the order can be  found here.

In the other order, the Commission certified as an eligible Ohio renewable energy resource generating facility the Killen Generating Station along the Ohio River because of its use of wood cellulose pellets and biodiesel as a renewable energy source. The Killen Generating Station is jointly owned by Dayton Power & Light and Duke Energy Ohio. A copy of the order can be found here.

The Ohio State University and Ohio University have received $500,000 in federal stimulus money to collaborate on developing a climate change plan for Ohio businesses and communities. The project will identify policy options and perform an impact analysis to help Ohio prepare for federal climate change policies. Ohio University and Ohio State have outlined a 12-month work plan for a statewide inventory of greenhouse gas emissions and development of a Web-based system for climate policy evaluation. The project director is Scott Miller, director of energy and environmental programs, Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs at Ohio University.

And NBC News 24 in Toledo has a brief piece about the city's use of a federally funded $3 million Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant build a wind turbine and solar field that will help power its water treatment plant.

Stories from Dow Jones Newswires and Des Moines Register demonstrate how state-by-state regulation of transmission lines could hinder the development of advanced and renewable energy sources. A big question, however, is the matter of who would pay for an updated, federally controlled transmission system: the utilities, upstart renewable and advanced energy companies, or a combination of the two?

Baltimore-based Constellation Energy announced that it completed installation of a 1.2 megawatt solar and wind power system at the University of Toledo's Scott Park Campus of Energy and Innovation. The company said that the system will help power the campus and provide educational opportunities for students.

State Rep. Roland Winburn (D-Dayton) has introduced a bill that would abate the tangible personal property tax levied on wind- and solar-power generating facilities, substituting in its place an annual fee based on a facility's power generation and the amount of its employees that are Ohio residents. The bill is a response to Governor Ted Strickland's proposal to eliminate the tax in his State of the State speech earlier this year. The bill is competing with one introduced by State Sen. Chris Widener(R-Springfield). Under Widener's bill, in lieu of the tax, wind and solar companies would pay an annual fee based on power generation and would be subject to a less stringent jobs requirement than the one in Winburn's bill.

Previous posts on the competing bills are here, here and here.

A new analysis of employment in the renewable energy sector found that about 70 percent of U.S. renewable energy systems and components are manufactured abroad. The study was released by the Apollo Alliance, a coalition of labor, business and environmental leaders who advocate for the advancement of the country's clean energy industries. If America continues to import the same proportion of renewable energy systems, the report concluded, the country stands to lose out on an estimated 100,000 manufacturing jobs by 2015, and up to 250,000 manufacturing jobs by 2030. The Apollo Alliance report can be found here.

By contrast, The New York Times Green Inc. blog has a post about a new study showing that nearly all energy efficiency equipment used in the United States is also made here. The study found that about 96 percent of caulking used domestically is made here, and various types of attic and wall insulation, as well as spray foam and duct sheet metal, are all over 90 percent American-manufactured. The study also found that 96 percent of replacement windows for American buildings are made here. The study was sponsored by the Home Performance Resource Center, a group linked to the energy efficiency advocacy group Efficiency First. The Home Performance Resource Center report can be found here.

Columbus Business First has a story detailing the disbursal of $773,107 in state funds for "clean coal" research and development. According to the story, Columbus-based Battelle Memorial Institute will receive $500,000 to develop a computer model to refine estimates of underground storage capacity in western Ohio for carbon dioxide emissions from coal-burning power plants. Additionally, Ohio State University will receive $273,107 to establish a pilot project to demonstrate a method for capturing carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide at Ohio’s coal-burning power plants. The funding comes from Ohio's $150 million Advanced Energy Job Stimulus Plan, $66 million of which is dedicated to clean coal.

State Representative Debbie Phillips (D-Athens) introduced to the State Senate her bill proposing the creation of the Ohio Energy Resource Center at Ohio University's Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs. The center would serve as an information hub for companies and governmental entities interested in developing renewable and advanced energy projects. The bill passed the Ohio House last year. A summary of the bill is here. The full bill is here.

There's been a raft of articles about advanced and renewable energy issues in recent days. Here are some highlights:

Columbus Business First detailed, in this article, the efforts of State Sen. Chris Widener (R-Springfield) to enact a bill that would allow renewable energy developers to pay an annual fee on their power-generating capacity rather than the state's more onerous tangible personal property tax on machinery and equipment owned by public utilities.

The Columbus Dispatch had a brief piece on U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown's efforts to strike a balance between business and environmental concerns as the state tries to refashion itself as a leader in clean energy.

The (Toledo) Blade is running a three-part series about what it is characterizing as the state's failure to capitalize on Northwest Ohio's strengths in the solar industry. Part one is here. Part two is here.

The Akron Beacon Journal, via this editorial, has thrown its support behind the efforts of Sen. Chris Widener (R-Springfield) to ease the tax burden on renewable energy developers by charging them an annual fee based on generating capacity.

What are the chances that Congress will pass a comprehensive climate change bill this year? Well, this article from Reuters makes it sound highly unlikely, with key senators expressing their doubts on the record. But then again, another article from Reuters--published a day later--makes it sound as if Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) is committed to getting something done this year.

With a climate change bill stalled in Congress, the Environmental Protection Agency has been moving forward with plans to regulate greenhouse gas emissions itself. But there are plans afoot in the Senate to bring those efforts to a halt, according to an article in The Washington Post.

Meanwhile, the private sector appears increasingly willing to move on its own. None other than retailing behemoth Wal-Mart announced last week, according to an article in The New York Times, that it intends to cut about 20 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions from its supply chain by the end of 2015, the equivalent of removing more than 3.8 million cars from the road for a year.

Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman last week unveiled his Green Memo II, a continuation of the mayor’s original Green Memo released in 2005. Green Memo II sets out the mayor's green development goals for the next five years. Its highlights include:

• Creation of a Green Business Incubator in partnership with Sci-Tech, Tech Columbus, The Ohio State University and Battelle to encourage entrepreneurship in the green job industry.

• Establishment of the Green Switch program, a $1 million low-interest revolving loan fund to assist businesses in energy efficiency building renovations.

• Launch of the Green Columbus Fund, a grant program to incentivize the development of green buildings and redevelopment of small brownfield sites such as abandoned gas stations.

State Sen. Chris Widener (R-Springfield) has introduced a bill that would scrap the tangible personal property tax currently levied on wind- and solar-power generating facilities. Under Widener's bill, in lieu of the tax, companies that build such facilities would pay an annual fee based on how much power they generate. The bill is a response to Governor Ted Strickland's proposal earlier this year to suspend Ohio’s tangible personal property tax on generation for wind and solar companies that break ground on projects in 2010, produce energy by 2012, and create Ohio jobs in the process. Rep. Roland Windburn (D-Dayton) also has a bill in the works, but has yet to introduce it in the Ohio House.

A group backed by a collection of high-profile companies has launched a clean energy jobs campaign that will make Columbus one of only five of its stops nationwide. The group --  We Can Lead -- is sponsored, in part, by such well-known companies as Starbucks, eBay, and Nike. The point of the campaign, according to this story in The Oregonian, is to lobby Congress to pass comprehensive climate change legislation, which the group says could help spark the next economic boom by potentially creating millions of clean energy jobs across the country. The campaign started Tuesday in Portland, Ore., and will continue on to Denver, Colo., Columbus, Manchester, N.H., and Washington, D.C. The event in Columbus is slated for March 4.

The environmental group Sierra Club has launched a clean energy campaign in Canton, according to this story in The Canton Repository. The Canton Clean Energy Jobs campaign is part of the group's efforts to increase support for a comprehensive clean energy bill by tying it to job creation and economic security. Sierra Club has launched similar campaigns elsewhere, including Virginia.

The Section 1603 grant program which was created under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, whereby eligible applicants and renewable energy projects may receive a 30% cash grant in lieu of an investment tax credit (“ITC”), is set to expire at the end of 2010.

In an effort to prevent this program from expiring, Senators Dianne Feinstein, (D-Calif.), and Jeff Merkley, (D-Ore.) introduced the Renewable Energy Incentive Act (S. 2899) to extend the program until 2012 and to expand the Section 1603 program to continue to spur the development of renewable energy employment, construction, and development. 

The Section 1603 grant program has already distributed over two billion dollars to eligible projects and is a key component in financing renewable energy projects given the decline in the tax equity market. 

The Section 1603 grant program helps renewable energy developers secure affordable financing to move forward with capital-intensive projects. As noted above, it is currently slated to expire in 2010, but this deadline is well before most large scale renewable energy projects will be ready to begin construction or the tax equity market will be primed to rebound. The legislation will also expand this program to allow public power utilities to participate and will create a new tax credit for solar manufacturing facilities and the construction of large solar projects on disturbed private lands.

The key provisions of the Feinstein-Merkley bill are:

• Extend the Treasury Grants Program until 2012: The program allows renewable energy developers to take grants, or payments, from the Treasury department instead of claiming tax credits in order to help build projects that require a great deal of capital upfront.
• Permits Public Power Utilities to receive Treasury Grants for Renewable Energy: The bill will also allow public power utilities to receive Treasury Grants for renewable energy projects. 
• Expands the solar investment tax credit to include manufacturing equipment and solar water heaters for commercial and community pools. The bill would allow equipment that makes solar panels to qualify for the 30 percent solar investment tax credit.
• Establishes a new solar tax credit for consolidation of disturbed private land with high solar value. The bill would create a 30 percent investment tax credit for the purchase, consolidation, and use of multiple, 100 acre or less blocks of high solarity, disturbed private lands for solar development. 

If you have any questions related to this legislation or the Section 1603 program generally, please contact Kevin M. Kinross (614-227-8824 or kkinross@bricker.com)

The folks at RenewableEnergyWorld.com have published a nice breakout of the clean energy funding proposals in President Obama's $28.4 billion budget request for fiscal year 2011. The budget request includes $2.36 billion for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), a 5 percent increase over fiscal year 2010. The increase in funding for a number of EERE programs would be substantial, including a 53 percent increase for wind energy, a 43 percent increase for the Weatherization and Intergovernmental Program, a 32 percent increase for the Federal Energy Management Program, a 25 percent increase for geothermal energy, and a 22 percent increase for solar energy.

Interesting piece today on The New York Times' Green Inc. blog about Oregon's efforts to cut back on a business energy tax credit designed to strengthen the state's renewable energy industry. The reason? It has been so popular that it has imperiled funding for other state programs. Under a bill passed by Oregon's House of Representatives on Wednesday, the state will be limited in how much it can spend on renewable energy projects, and incentives for wind farms will be phased out completely. The bill is expected to pass the State Senate and be signed into law by Gov. Ted Kulongoski.

Two stories out of Cleveland demonstrate how the city is trying to position itself as a hub of clean energy technology development and manufacturing. The first, courtesy of The Plain Dealer, details the efforts of The Great Lakes Energy Development Task Force to develop the first offshore wind farm in the Great Lakes. The task force is moving ahead with plans to study the potential effects of the project on wildlife and to pick a turbine manufacturer. The project is expected to cost up to $100 million build.

The second, also from The Plain Dealer, details how the city signed a $1.5 million contract with a New Jersey company to design a small power plant fueled by municipal waste. The 20-megawatt plant, which would be the first of its kind in the country, would cost about $200 million and supply about 6 percent of Cleveland Public Power's peak load. Princeton Environmental Group is designing the plant. According to the article, the company holds the exclusive U.S. license to a Japanese technology that turns organic waste in rubbish into combustible gas. If the plant is built, the company plans to build a small manufacturing facility in the city to build gasifiers.

Jeff Bell with Business First continues his comprehensive coverage of advanced energy issues in Ohio. Today he looks at the proposed expansion of Ohio's law allowing muncipal bonds to finance solar systems. The bill, Senate Bill 223, would allow energy efficiency and a few other renewable technologies to qualify for this financing. The article is a good primer on the new bill. More information on the topic can be found at our HB 1 Resource Center.

Read the article on Business First's website
(subscription required for full article).

A new report by the Climate Group in partnership with the University of Michigan finds significant potential for job creation and revenue growth in the Midwest over the next five years from the manufacture of three low-carbon technologies.

The report, "American Innovation: Manufacturing Low Carbon Technologies in the Midwest," which uses economic research from Deloitte, estimates that climate and energy policies could create up to 100,000 new jobs in the Midwest, and generate additional market revenues of up to $12 billion, boosting state and local tax revenues by over $800 million by 2015. These gains were estimated from policy-assisted growth in the wind turbine component, hybrid powertrain, and advanced battery manufacturing sectors in the Midwest.

In Ohio, climate and energy policies could create over 22,000 new jobs, $3.2 billion in additional market revenues and more than $148 million in state and local tax revenue from the three low-carbon sectors by 2015, according to the report.

Bricker and Eckler LLP has added a resource center with information on Solar SIDs and PACE financing opportunities for your local government, your industry, your business or your home.

Energy SIDs Resource Center

Applications pending as of February 2, 2010 with the Ohio Power Siting Board.
 

The American wind power industry grew at a blistering pace in 2009, adding 39 percent more capacity, according to an article in The New York Times today. The country is close to the point where 2 percent of its electricity will come from wind turbines, the article said. The Times pulled the data from the annual report of The American Wind Energy Association. That report said the amount of capacity added last year, 9,900 megawatts, was the largest on record, and was 18 percent above the capacity added in 2008, also a banner year.

Nice editorial in the Akron Beacon Journal today about wind power and its potential to help transform Ohio's econonomy.

On December 15, 2009, the FirstEnergy electric distribution utilities (Ohio Edison, The Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company, and Toledo Edison) filed for approval of their first portfolio plan implementing the energy efficiency and peak demand requirements set forth in Ohio’s landmark energy legislation, more commonly known as Senate Bill 221.  The nearly 700 page filing is available on the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio’s website in Case No. 09-1947-EL-POR, et al -- http://dis.puc.state.oh.us/CaseRecord.aspx?CaseNo=09-1947.  Numerous interested stakeholders have intervened in the case to protect their interests in participating in the dozen or more different energy efficiency and peak demand reduction programs available to both residential and non-residential customers in FirstEnergy's filing.  The total estimated cost of FirstEnergy’s comprehensive portfolio plan over its three-year planning (2010-2012) is more than $210 million. 

From a procedural standpoint, a technical conference has been scheduled for January 21, 2010 at the offices of the PUCO to assist interested persons in understanding FirstEnergy's filing.  Motions to intervene, intervenor testimony, and objections to FirstEnergy's plan must be filed by February 16th, while PUCO Staff has until February 23rd to file its testimony.  The evidentiary hearing is scheduled to begin on March 2, 2010 at 10am at the PUCO offices.  For more information about First Energy’s filing or the impact of these programs on your monthly electric bill, please contact Tom O’Brien at 614.227.2335 or tobrien@bricker.com / Matt Warnock at 614.227.2388 or mwarnock@bricker.com. 

In a press release from the Corporation today, Melink Corp. announced that it's headquarters, located in Milford, Ohio, is the State's first LEED Platinum Certified building. The complex included solar panels on the roof and a wind turbine on premises. According to Melink, their building is 75% more efficient than a conventional building. Read more below or click here for a photo of Melink's headquarters.

[January 14, 2010. MILFORD, OH] Melink Corporation just received notification from the United States Green Building Council that its super energy-efficient headquarters has earned the LEED Platinum Certification for Existing Buildings.

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is a rating system for green buildings. Platinum is the highest rating that can be achieved and Melink is the first in Ohio to achieve this distinction for an existing building. There are only 24 LEED Platinum Existing Buildings in the world. 

The Melink headquarters was the first LEED Gold Certified building in Ohio in 2006. Since then the company has even further improved its energy efficiency and installed additional renewable energy, ie. solar and wind power systems. 

At present the 30,000 square foot office and manufacturing facility is 75% more energy efficient than a conventional building. As a result the company is saving more than a $100 per day and $35,000 per year in energy costs.

Steve Melink, President of Melink Corporation, states that the next goal is to make the facility a net zero energy building within another year. This means that the building will export as much energy to the grid as it imports and uses from the grid.

"The building industry is rapidly embracing sustainability and we want to help lead the way," says Steve. "Though the Midwest is typically conservative, Ohio is becoming both a market and supply chain for green technologies and best practices." 

Melink is a provider of building commissioning services, ventilation controls, and renewable energy products for commercial building owners. They work with national retail, restaurant, supermarket, and hotel chains, as well as hospitals, schools, and other institutions across the country. 

Contact Info:

Jennifer Sivak
Melink Corporation
5140 River Valley Road
Milford, OH 45150
513-965-7318
jsivak@melinkcorp.com

The Treasury Department released additional guidance today on payments for specified energy property in lieu of tax credits under Section 1603 of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009.

The guidance is in the form of questions and answers and provides additional guidance on:

• Application Procedures (Questions 1-16)
• Applicant Eligibility (Questions 17-26)
• Property Eligibility (Questions 27-31)
• Use of Awarded Funds (Questions 32-33); and 
• Eligible Basis (Questions 34-35).

A PDF of the FAQs can be accessed here.

The Department of Treasury’s website can be viewed here.

For additional information contact: 

• Kevin M. Kinross (kkinross@bricker.com) 614-227-8824
• Gordon Litt (glitt@bricker.com) 614-227-2305
• Terrence O’Donnell (todonnell@bricker.com) 614-227-2345

The Northeast Ohio Public Energy Counsel (NOPEC) recently closed a complex three-way transaction with Gexa Energy Ohio LLC, an affiliate of FPL Group Inc, Juno Beach, Florida, and First Energy Solutions Corp., Akron, Ohio (an affiliate of First Energy Corp.). The deal is expected to result in significant savings on NOPEC customers’ electricity costs. Bricker & Eckler LLP was pleased to represent NOPEC in the transaction. NOPEC'S 425,000 consumers are expected to save approximately $200 million on their electric bills over the next 10 years because of this deal. NOPEC is the largest governmental retail energy aggregator in the nation, serving 128 communities in nine counties in Northeast Ohio. Read more about NOPEC in this recent New York Times article.

The Akron Beacon Journal today reported on Ohio's current and potential positioning as a wind turbine manufacturing leader.  The front-page article said, "Ohio trails only California in potential for developing wind turbines and components, according to the Renewable Energy Policy Project in a 2004 report for the U.S. Department of Energy."  The USDE said that more than 11,000 new jobs and almost $4 billion in capital could be injected into Ohio through the wind supply chain.

See today's article http://www.ohio.com/news/top_stories/81117212.html  for more details.

Interesting item in the Dayton Daily News on the potential extension of the Third Frontier program.

Before wrapping up for the year, the Ohio House of Representatives passed an amended House Bill 113 which promotes advanced energy projects at Ohio's Primary and Secondary schools. The bill was amended heavily in Committee, making it a pilot project instead of a full-blown initiative. 

The provisions in the bill set different renewable energy generation standards based on school enrollment and shorten the allowable pay-back period from the originally proposed 30-year timeline to the new 15-year timeline. In addition, a floor amendment to the bill makes it easier for school boards to terminate a contract with a provider "if the board determines that the cost the district pays for the electricity generated by the renewable energy system is substantially greater than the retail rate of electricity that would have been payable by the district if the system had not been installed."

Read the full text of the bill

A US Department of Energy study predicts that advanced energy production growth will double compared to the rate of traditional energy sources.  This could have a major impact on renewable energy manufacturers in Ohio including many in the Northwest region of the state.  The study can be found here. 

Avon Lake has enlisted Engineering Process Systems and NexGen to install solar panels for its safety building which is estimated to replace 15 percent of the building's current energy use and save approximately $100 - $200 per month.  Read more about Avon Lake's recent council meeting.>

As Northeast Ohio continues its efforts to become a hub of advanced energy, including for offshore wind, they seem to be taking an innovative regional approach.  Read article from The Plain Dealer.

Today, Governor Strickland announced that 25 Ohio projects will receive more than $13 million in grant awards through the ARRA State Energy program. Congratulations to the Ohio recipients of AARA funding for wind and solar projects! Read full press release here.

Congratulations to First Solar on its exciting plans for continued growth!

Read full article in The Toledo Blade

Here is the latest list of projects submitted to the PUCO for Renewable Energy Credits.

Applications filed as November 16, 2009.
 

Congratulations to Pearl Road Auto Parts on their new wind turbine!

Read the full story from The Plain Dealer

As wind developers continue through the Ohio Power Siting Board process, they can expect significant public input.  Part of the process includes questioning from other stakeholders, as described in this article in the Springfield News Sun.

It appears FirstEnergy will fall short of the state requirement to be more energy efficient this year.  It remains to be seen if and how they will comply with the renewable energy mandate also contained in Ohio Senate Bill 221.

Link to the alternative energy portfolio standard as contained in S.B. 221

Read full story on The Plain Dealer site

On October 7, 2009, the US DOE announced that it will provide $750 million in credit subsidy funding to help accelerate the development of commercialized renewable energy projects under the Section 1705 Loan Guarantee program of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Department's plan is to utilize the new Financial Institution Partnership Program (FIPP) through which approved private sector lenders will underwrite loan guarantees for conventional renewable energy projects such as wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, and hydropower. For more detailed information on the program, see the US DOE's Loan Guarantee Program (http://www.lgprogram.energy.gov/) and Bricker & Eckler LLP's Green Strategies Bulletin Loan Guarantees for Commercial Renewable Energy Projects Announced.

Last week, the Ohio Department of Development announced that it was making available $15 million to counties and municipalities that did not previously receive a direct allocation of funding from the US Department of Energy under the ARRA Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program. According to the RFP, the EECBG-Local Government Program provides grant funding for a wide array of activities intended to lower fossil fuel emissions, reduce energy usage, and create jobs including energy efficiency retrofits, energy distribution projects, traffic signals and street lighting, reduction and capture of methane and greenhouse gas projects, and renewable energy projects on government buildings. Under the Request for Proposal, the $15 million will be made available to eligible local governments based on population as follows:

• $3 Million for eligible county and city governments with populations below 39,000 
• $4 Million for eligible county and city governments with populations between 39,000 and 65,000 
• $8 Million for eligible county and city governments with populations between 65,000 and above.

Interested applicants must submit a one-page project summary no later than 2 p.m. Nov. 25, at http://recovery.ohio.gov/opportunities/state to be eligible to make a formal proposal for funding under the RFP. Complete proposals are due to the Ohio Energy Office by 2 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 30. Applications are to be mailed to the Ohio Energy Office, 77 S. High St., Columbus, OH 43215. To access the RFP and for more information, see www.development.ohio.gov/recovery/energy/FundingOpportunities.htm.

Interesting article in the Mansfield News Journal illustrating how wind farms can serve as another source of revenue for the farming community.

Read the article on the Mansfield News Journal site

Congratulations to the Ohio Wind Energy Research and Commercialization Center at Case on receiving state funding to advance its mission. This business and university partnership should help advance the wind industry in Northeast Ohio.  Read full article on The News-Herald site.

See this Business First article about the potential for Ohio to become a leader in the solar energy space.

http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2009/10/12/story3.html
(subscription required to read full text of article)

Wind for Schools: A Wind Powering America Project (August 2009)

This brochure provides an overview of Wind Powering America's Wind for Schools Project, including: a description of the project, the participants, funding sources, the basic configurations, and how interested parties can become involved.

The Appalachian Regional Commission is holding a conference in Athens, Ohio on October 26-28, 2009 to address the potential job opportunities the new clean economy may present for Appalachia.  Made up of 13 states, the Appalachian region is experiencing new job creation and innovation through renewable and advanced energy projects.  In Ohio, the development of the Hocking College Energy Institute http://www2.hocking.edu/hcei/ and the recent announcement of a new anaerobic digester developed by Schmack BioEnergy in Muskingum County d post are just two examples of the new opportunities for job creation and business development in the region.  To learn more about the conference and to register, go to http://guest.cvent.com/EVENTS/Info/Summary.aspx?e=a38ed6f8-6b0f-44b4-9cbd-2f39bac5cf80.

The Cuyahoga County Commissioners are reconsidering the wind turbine at the fairgrounds.

Read the full article on the Plain Dealer website

The Senate version of cap and trade legislation was introduced on Capitol Hill today by Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA). The summary of the bill highlights energy independence and security, job creation, energy efficiency, and clean coal research and development. In addition, the Bill amends the Clean Air Act to reduce emissions of covered sources to 97% of 2005 levels by 2012, 80% by 2020, 58% by 2030, and 17% by 2050.

The Bill and summaries can be located at http://kerry.senate.gov/cleanenergyjobsandamericanpower/intro.cfm or by clicking here.

The FirstEnergy Renewable Energy Credit RFP has launched.  All documents pertaining to the RFP are available at:

http://www.firstenergyrenewable.com/2009OhioRFP2/index.html

The dedication ceremony for the largest on-site, third-party-operated renewable energy system at any Ohio school will be held today at Upper Scioto Valley School District in Hardin County. Two wind turbines recently installed on the District's high school campus will provide up to one-third of the electricity for the school's new Wind/Energy Academy and Green Lab facility and serve as a learning resource for renewable energy and other emerging clean technologies. The project was developed by NexGen Energy Partners, LLC, a national on-site renewable energy systems company. Bricker & Eckler LLP was pleased to participate in the structuring of this initiative.

Read more about the project:
NexGen's press release
Project at-a-glance

In a joint press release today, the U.S. Treasury Department and Energy Department announced a milestone in Federal grants in lieu of tax credits under the 1603 program. Section 1603 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act created a program whereby renewable energy companies could receive direct payments for projects instead of tax credits. The program has completed its second phase of funding in less than the statutorily mandated 60-day turnaround. More information can be found at http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/20099221094315090.htm.

Please join Bricker & Eckler LLP and Novogradac & Company LLP for a one-day intensive training workshop that will explore options and tools for financing Ohio renewable energy projects. 

Featured panelists include:

• Mark Shanahan, Ohio Air Quality Development Authority, Executive Director and Energy Advisor to Ohio Governor Ted Strickland
• Steven Klein, First Infrastructure LLC, Financial Advisor to the upcoming U.S. Department of Energy's 1705 Loan Guarantee Program
• Darrell Fields, Ohio Air Quality Development Authority, General Counsel 

Agenda at a glance:

• Tour of State Subsidies 
• Debt Financing 
• Structuring Equity Transactions 
• Ohio's Role & Next Steps 

Wednesday, October 14th 
10 am - 4 pm
Cleveland Forum Conference Center

For agenda and registration information visit: http://www.novoco.com/emails/events/2009/aug_09-5.htm

Financing Ohio's Renewable Energy is being co-sponsored by Bricker & Eckler LLP and Novogradac & Company LLP.

The Ohio Department of Development and Governor Ted Strickland’s office recently announced the Deploying Renewable Energy: Wind and Solar Grant, a $14 million program that seeks individuals, partnerships, companies, and entities that meet the requirements of a proposal to install qualified solar electric, solar thermal and wind electric technologies.  Third party ownership projects are also eligible to apply.  Between $250,000 and $1 million will be awarded to each project through a competitive process.  Applicants must be in the State of Ohio, and match the total investment with at least 50% of total costs.  Completion of the project must be within 12 months and have a direct economic impact in Ohio.

For more information on this program please go to the website:  development.ohio.gov/recovery/FundingOpportunities.htm

The folks at Green Energy Ohio do an excellent job with the annual solar tour.  It's a nice opportunity to see PV installations all across the state.

Details on Solar Tour

State Treasurer announces incentive plan for homeowners to make their homes more energy efficient.  The Energy Conservation for Ohioans (ECO-Link) program offers reductions in interest on qualifying bank loans.  Federal tax cre