Winds of Change: Ohio Legislature Passes Renewable Energy Tax Reform

COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 4 /PRNewswire/ -- A late-night vote Thursday by the Ohio House demonstrates Ohio's bipartisan commitment to bringing clean energy, job creation and greater investment in local communities vying for renewable energy projects.

Sub Senate Bill 232 passed the House by a vote of 91-7 and the Senate concurred shortly after passage by a vote of 27-5 with a final reconciled bill headed to Gov. Ted Strickland's desk before summer recess, according to the grassroots coalition Wind and Solar Jobs for Ohio.

"With this vote, Ohio public officials have positioned the State to create and protect thousands of local Ohio manufacturing, construction, operations and maintenance jobs in the wind industry," said Brad Lystra, manager, economic development partnerships for the American Wind Energy Association.

The bipartisan effort and passage of Sub Senate Bill 232 was critical to bringing Ohio's tax structure for wind development sites in line with surrounding states as developers finalize decisions on which projects to prioritize to leverage expiring federal stimulus funding.

Lystra applauded the bipartisan spirit and the leadership of Sen. Chris Widener (R-Springfield) who championed Senate Bill 232, Gov. Ted Strickland, and Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee Rep. Tom Leston (D-Warren) for working together to advance Ohio's clean energy future.

"By eliminating this tax disadvantage, Ohio lawmakers have strengthened the renewable market and secured millions in new tax revenue for local communities," Lystra said. "Additionally, Ohio's struggling manufacturing industry will get a significant boost from wind turbine component part orders and position itself to see even greater investments from wind and solar manufacturers looking to expand into new markets and supply chains."

About Wind and Solar Jobs for Ohio

Wind and Solar Jobs for Ohio is a coalition of businesses and organizations that support the adoption of a competitive tax structure for wind and solar projects in Ohio. For more information on the coalition and the specifics of the seven proposed wind farms for Ohio, visit www.windandsolarjobsforohio.com.

SOURCE Wind and Solar Jobs for Ohio