Ohio Gov. Kasich Rejects Bill Blocking Clean Energy in Ohio

Making good on his promise, Governor John Kasich vetoed legislation today that would have weakened and delayed implementation of the state’s successful clean energy standards that had been “frozen” by the Ohio legislature two years ago (SB 310). The standards will now go back into effect as of January 1, 2017.  

 “Governor Kasich’s veto sends the signal that Ohio is back in the clean energy game, and ready to deliver good jobs and a healthy environment to businesses and families,” said Samantha Williams, Staff Attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council.  “While the lawmakers who fast-tracked this legislation seem determined to freeze Ohio in the past, the Administration wisely sees that embracing the clean energy shift that is already underway can only help the state move forward. Jobs and investment are coming to the region—the Governor is right to steer them to Ohio.”

Governor Kasich’s veto of HB 554 is a rare rejection of legislation passed by the Ohio legislature’s Republican super-majority, which failed to muster a veto-proof vote margin for the energy bill. Over the last year, Governor Kasich had repeatedly promised to veto such legislation, calling any further delays in implementing the clean energy standards “unacceptable.” Gov. Kasich’s veto is a signal to the growing number of businesses that want clean energy that they can find it in Ohio, not just in Michigan and Illinois, two neighboring states led by Republican governors that have recently upped the ante on their own clean energy standards.

Business opposition to continuing the clean energy freeze was strong, led by national companies like Campbell Soup, Nestle, and Whirlpool Corporation, which collectively employ more than 25,000 people in Ohio. Overall, businesses made the case that uncertainty over the energy standards prevented them from making large-scale investments in the state or had already pushed jobs out-of-state.

The clean energy standards have broad support from Ohioans, who see firsthand the bill savings from energy efficiency and renewable energy programs, and the environmental and health communities, who championed the standards as a hedge against climate change, a major threat to public health.

Additional Resources:

• The Numbers Don’t Lie: Ohio Gov Kasich Must Veto Energy Bill - https://www.nrdc.org/experts/samantha-williams/numbers-dont-lie-ohio-gov-kasich-must-veto-energy-bill
• Video compilation (released Nov 28, 2016) of Governor Kasich’s public statements calling on the legislature to restore the standards, created by CERES
• Environmental health report (Sept 2015, NRDC/ELPC/OEC/LCV) – Cleaner Air and Better Health: The Benefits of Ohio’s Renewable and Efficiency Standards (documenting the public health benefits of reinstating the, including in 2017 alone, preventing 140 premature deaths, 230 heart attacks, 2,230 asthma attacks, and 16,900 lost days of work and school)

###  

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 2 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, and Beijing. Visit us atwww.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC