A new report that examines Ohio's clean energy capabilities finds that wind energy – used at its fullest capability – can help the state fulfill its renewable energy potential.
Advanced Energy Economy Ohio (AEEO), author of the report, says that while some companies have made significant strides, there is room for growth.
For example, AEEO says Ohio has the capacity to grow existing and planned wind projects 20-fold given its available wind resource. Further, AEEO says the state has 288 MW of untapped hydropower potential. Energy efficiency may be the biggest opportunity of all. As the seventh-largest energy consumer in the U.S., Ohio spends over $40 billion a year on energy.
AEEO says advanced energy companies, including those in the wind industry, are building on the state's strong manufacturing base, the state's greatest asset for developing a vibrant advanced energy cluster. In 2010, the most recent year for which data is available, Ohio was the fifth most productive manufacturing state, generating $80 billion of output, and had the ninth-highest manufacturing output per capita in the U.S. Its businesses are also capitalizing on the state's legacy of innovation as well as supportive state policies.
Advanced energy is characterized by the benefits it provides in the field and in the marketplace. Electric and plug-in hybrid cars, lightweight composites for airplane bodies, natural-gas-fueled trucks, high-performance buildings, more-efficient industrial processes, and the latest wind, solar and nuclear technologies – these are all advanced energy, as they use energy more productively, diversify energy sources, and reduce health and environmental costs, according to AEEO.
