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A MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR
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It Takes A Village
How often have we heard that phrase? Initially applied to raising a child, it has come to represent the need for collective effort across many endeavors. The campaign for clean energy and climate action is one of those activities that requires collective action.
We are fortunate in Ohio to have a broad coalition of organizations working toward that end. Their events and announcements are featured each month in the “Our Ohio Partners” section of this newsletter. We collaborate with them on programs and share ideas. We celebrate their successes and we honor them with our annual Green Achievement Awards. Some of them may be obvious – the Ohio Environmental Council, Clean Fuels Ohio, and Solar United Neighbors. With others, clean energy might not be the first thing to come to mind – the Ohio Hospital Association, our 2019 award winner, or the Ohio Craft Brewers Association. But each plays a pivotal role in furthering our common cause. Here is a
link to a video
featuring our Ohio partners, with Erin Fisher, Director of Communications and Outreach, representing GEO.
Resources are always scarce in the nonprofit world and especially so as a result of the pandemic. We are often competitors for the generosity of Ohioans who believe in our mission, and in similar missions of other organizations. I was struck by the distribution of funds from the recent Columbus Foundation Big Give. Only 1.67 percent of funds raised went to environmental organizations, coming from just 3.95 percent of the total donations. The needs of our communities are great, and it has been shown that the lack of a clean environment is the root cause for many social, educational, and health-related challenges that we face. Clean air, clean water, fewer floods and droughts, the growth of good jobs, and sustained economic development can all be advanced through an investment in clean energy.
Earlier this month when I went to the GEO P.O. Box, I found two donations – a $1,000 anonymous gift and a $10 bill with a note that read “I wish I could do more.” The sizable anonymous gift is greatly appreciated and will be put to good use, and the note with the money touched my heart. That sentiment – the desire to contribute whatever amount you can to a cause you believe in – is what keeps me going, spreading the word, achieving our goals, and being worthy of their commitment.
As a proud member of the Ohio energy and environmental community, GEO respectfully asks for your support and promises to grow and expand the important work we have done for two decades.
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Jane Harf, Executive Director
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LET'S TALK ABOUT THE FUTURE
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Thanks to everyone who has joined us for four great conversations in our Clean Energy in the Age of Coronavirus series! We have heard from journalists on the cutting edge of the biggest stories of the day, business leaders whose companies are at the forefront of innovation, nonprofit activists devoted to expanding information and access to clean energy, and members of the academic community engaged in teaching,research, and the advancement of campus sustainability.
Join us on Wednesday, August 19 to hear from two prominent energy providers in Ohio: Frank Willson, Vice President of Residential and Small Business Solution Sales, AEP Energy, and Luke Sulfridge, Executive Director, Southeast Ohio Public Energy Council (SOPEC).
As a state with a competitive market, residents and businesses are allowed to chose the generation plan that best suits their needs, including their budget and their environmental preferences. We'll hear how energy providers address those choices in next month's conversation.
And when you're deciding on your energy plan, remember that
AEP Energy ECO-Advantage
contributes $30 to Green Energy Ohio for each customer who uses the promo code: GEO.
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ONE YEAR LATER, HOUSE BILL 6
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Just one year after the passage of House Bill 6, Ohio is embroiled in a controversy that in all likelihood will lead to its repeal.
Green Energy opposed HB 6, along with a broad coalition of environmental organizations, clean energy business leaders, local government officials, and public health advocates. You can
read the testimony
that GEO submitted to House and Senate committees. In communications sent to our supporters, we urged them to call their legislators with a “vote no” message. We asked the Governor to veto the bill, all to no avail.
Now we have learned that the bill’s success was overwhelmingly due to a $60 million racketeering scheme that started before the bill was even introduced, intended to elect members of the General Assembly who would ensure its passage. This distortion of our electoral and legislative processes left Ohioans paying a high price. That price came not only in terms of more expensive electricity, but also from repeal of the state’s renewable energy and energy efficiency standards, erasing gains that Ohio had made and causing us to lose more ground to states with a greater commitment to the future. Television ads and mailers that blanketed Ohio were paid for with dark money, spreading dishonest messages intended to cause confusion, stoke fear, and stop a ballot initiative through which voters could overturn the statute.
GEO issued
a statement calling for repeal of HB 6
and will be closely following legislative activity in the coming weeks. As always, we will be speaking out on behalf of sustainable energy policies and representing our supporters' desire to put Ohio back on the path to good jobs, economic development, clean air, and progress in the fight against climate change.
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POWER SITING BOARD TO HOLD PUBLIC HEARING ON EMERSON CREEK WIND FARM
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For the first time this year, the Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB) has scheduled a public hearing on a proposed land-based Ohio wind farm.
On Thursday, August 20 at 3:00 pm, the OPSB will host a virtual hearing to take public testimony on
Emerson Creek Wind
, located in Huron and Erie Counties. Under development by Apex Clean Energy, Emerson Creek would be capable of producing up to 300 MW of energy, enough to power 87,850 U.S. homes each year. It is estimated to generate $51.3 million in landowner leases, $54 million for local school districts, and $27 million in local government support.
According to the
American Wind Energy Association
(AWEA), Ohio ranked 31st in the share of electricity generated by wind in 2019. In the first quarter of 2020, Ohio ranked 23rd for installed wind capacity. Inconsistent and obstructive public policy has prevented the state and its citizens from taking full advantage of wind's potential. The Emerson Creek hearing is an chance to let decision-makers know that Ohioans support wind energy.
For information on how to voice your support at the event, submit written remarks, or attend by phone or video, visit
OPSB Emerson Creek hearing.
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Saving Jobs, Saving Money, & Saving the Environment:
Energy Optimizers’ Belinda Kenley shares
how they make it all possible
by Rachel Bernthold
Belinda Kenley has always been a leader. As a graduate of Sinclair Community College, Leadership Dayton, Aileron’s Course for Senior Executives, and the Jo Ann Davidson Ohio Leadership Institute, she continued to refine her natural leadership skills.
It wasn’t until she was introduced to Energy Optimizers, USA (EOU) founder Greg Smith, that she was given the opportunity to pair her development and management skills with her passion for the planet. Greg served as a mentor, Belinda explained, and it was through their professional partnership that she learned the benefits of energy efficiency not only for the environment but for schools and businesses as well.
Belinda began her career at EOU as Vice President in 2011 and, because the company was a startup, the scope of her responsibilities was large. She recalls doing “anything and everything needed, including a little project management, lots of marketing and business development, and administrative work.” As the business grew and more associates were able to be hired, she was “able to focus more on the marketing and business development aspect of our business, as well as serving in a Leadership role.”
Click
here
to continue reading Belinda's story.
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FROM THE GEO ARCHIVES:
PROVIDING THE SKILLS FOR A FRESH START
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Last month, the GEO Archives featured the five regional workshops and trade shows focused on Green Energy and Green Collar Jobs that GEO hosted in 2009. This month we are sharing a program that has been underway since 2015, and continues today. Beginning five years ago, GEO and its business members have partnered with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections (ODRC) to train offenders through the “Understanding Photovoltaics” program and endeavored to place them in the Ohio solar industry after release.
One of the significant challenges facing men as they leave prison is finding a good job – especially one that provides a living wage and an opportunity for growth. Numerous studies have shown that steady employment reduces recidivism and increases the likelihood of full participation in society. Through the Richland Correctional Institution’s Reintegration Unit, offenders have an opportunity to learn skills that contribute to those outcomes. The Understanding Photovoltaics program provides a 12-week training course in solar technology and installation for approximately twenty offenders. Each week, students spend four hours in the classroom and two hours engaged in hands-on work on solar panel technology. Out of each class, three to five top performers are selected to take the Electronics Technicians Association, International (ETA) certification test. The students have a 94 percent passing rate, with the majority scoring over 90 percent on the exam.
A coalition of dedicated partners has contributed funds, materials, equipment, and time to the program since its beginning. Those partners include the Wayne County Sustainable Energy Network (WCSEN), YellowLite, Blue Rock Station, Dovetail Solar and Wind, and the Richland Correctional Institution’s Recycling Program. GEO Board member Fred Michel administers the ETA examinations on a pro bono basis. Resumes from offenders preparing for release are shared with GEO business members. Several news outlets have written about the program, including the
Columbus Dispatch
and the
Energy News Network
. ODRC received the
Green Achievement Award for Government
from GEO in 2019 for this program.
Click
here
to read about the next step in GEO's support for the program: Developing a grant proposal to create apprenticeship opportunities.
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Ohio EPA moves ahead with EV charging station grants
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The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) invites applications for grants under its Diesel Mitigation Trust Fund (DMTF) program to help fund the installation of publicly available Level 2 Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations in
26 Ohio priority counties
.
The purpose of this part of the DMTF program is to increase the availability and public awareness of charging stations. More access to charging stations will help increase EV adoption and reduce petroleum-based fuel consumption by vehicles, thereby mitigating nitrogen oxides and decreasing particulate matter and greenhouse gas emissions in Ohio.
Grants will be funded with dollars allocated to Ohio from the Volkswagen (VW) Mitigation Trust Fund, as part of a court-ordered settlement to offset the excess air pollution emitted by some VW vehicles in violation of the Clean Air Act. Since these are considered public dollars, the funds are dedicated to supporting publicly available locations. This current offering is for Level 2 charging stations only. A separate funding opportunity will be made available in early 2021 for DC Fast Charging stations.
The total funding under this Level 2 competitive grant offering is approximately $3,250,000 of which $250,000 is set aside for public charging in certain Ohio state parks and other state government facilities. Of the remaining funds, $115,000 is allocated for sites in each of the 26 eligible counties in varying amounts for government and non-government sites.
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From atmospheric pollution to infectious disease and industrial waste, Black and Brown Americans are disproportionately burdened by environmental degradation.
This systemic onslaught of toxic exposure and institutional negligence
is not only notable in its impact on the physical health of millions of Americans. It also creates another, largely overlooked consequence - robbing communities of color, and America as a whole, of intellectual power. In
A Terrible Thing To Waste
, medical ethicist and award-winning science author, Harriet A. Washington explains how “Intelligence in African Americans and other people of color — native Americans, Hispanics — is being assailed by the environment".
Washington dissects the notion of intelligence as an inherited trait, using copious data that instead point to a different cause of the reported African American-white IQ gap: environmental racism. Featuring extensive scientific research and Washington's sharp, lively reporting,
A Terrible Thing to Waste
is sure to transform the conversation and inspire debate.
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