The fallout continues in Ohio. Shortly after signing two bills that dramatically weaken wind energy in the state, the Van Wert Area Chamber of Commerce took to social media and blasted Gov. John Kasich via Facebook.
On June 16, the Republican governor posted an item on his Facebook touting the myriad benefits to Ohioans from the passage of H.B.483. However, wind energy advocates – still reeling from the freezing of the state's alternative energy portfolio standard the week before – were stunned that Kasich also let stand an onerous turbine setback provision. Taken together, the bills put a double whammy on the state's renewable energy market.
Two hours after Kasich's Facebook post, the Van Wert Area Chamber of Commerce – part of the county that hosts Iberdrola's Blue Creek wind farm – excoriated the governor in the comments section.
"Governor, you have signed two bad for business bills with S.B.310 and H.B.483. Perhaps you have another company ready to invest $200,000,000 plus into Van Wert County. Perhaps you have another business coming to Van Wert that will provide millions of dollars in NON-taxed school revenue for our local schools. For a governor who touts his "renewable energy' policy, job growth and private sector growth, you blew this one."
The post continues: "Ohio should be embarrassed with these 2 bills. Billions of [dollars] will leave our state. And the irony is that when the coal plants begin to close and the utilities have to rebuild their energy portfolios, they will find themselves importing wind energy from our neighboring states who get it."
