The Ohio House has approved a bill making compliance with the state's renewable energy mandates optional for the next three years. Lawmakers acted as a two-year freeze is set to expire this month. Ohio Public Radio's Andy Chow reports.
Supporters say the bill still requires energy companies to increase the use of alternative resources it just doesn’t mandate yearly increases.
But opponents say this plan keeps kicking the can down the road on policies that they say helped progress the state’s green energy industry.
That includes Republican Representative Mike Duffey of Worthington.
Duffey: “We can do energy efficiency and renewables without making the mandates for Ohioans, without giving control to utilities and without planning such large incentives that utilities have turned these programs into profit centers.”
The bill is expected to pass the Senate by the end of the week.