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By Dave Simons, Energy Chair
State Rep. Mike Foley recently introduced a bill, HB
301, to finance
the Ohio Advanced Energy Fund (co-sponsored by Celeste, Skindell,
Hagan, Stewart, Letson, Murray, Harris, Prior, Yuko, Domenick,
Ujvagi, Yates, Harwood, Winburn, and Williams). We need to rally
support for this bill. Please WRITE OR CALL your state Representative
to help push this bill through the House. This program is one good
answer to help defeat global warming, and eliminate the pollution
and land destruction caused by our addiction to coal.
The Ohio Advanced Energy Fund complements the Ohio
Advanced Energy Portfolio Standard that requires our utilities to produce 12.5%
of their power from renewables, like solar and wind, by 2025. HB
301 replaces the soon to expire Advanced Energy Fund with a new
Fund of the same name that lasts until 2025, and has ELEVEN times
as much revenue. The existing fund has spent about $7 million,
so far. HB 301 should yield $100 MILLION PER YEAR to help our transition
to our clean energy future. This means GOOD JOBS for Ohioans in
the clean energy industry.
You can benefit personally in a big way. Would you like to install
a small wind turbine, solar electric panels, or solar hot water
and space heater in YOUR home? The new Advanced Energy
Fund provides
grants covering HALF the cost. With state and federal tax credits
added in, your home renewable energy project could only cost
a small fraction of the full retail cost. Does that change your
affordability bottom line? The Advanced Energy Fund also helps
manufacturers with energy efficiency projects and for installing
larger scale solar, wind, biomass, cogeneration, etc. You can
find out more about your personal benefits at: development.ohio.gov/cdd/oee/ELFGrant.htm.
And Green Energy Ohio, the local chapter of the American Solar
Energy Society, can help educate you about renewables and demystify
the subject: GreenEnergyOhio.org. Sierra Club has a national
Clean Energy Campaign with extensive web resources: SierraClub.org/energy.
As one of three primary Sierra Club goals, decided at the 2005
Sierra Club Convention and Expo, we regard the transformation of
our energy producing systems to be THAT important!
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The City of Cleveland's 
Do you know of a local environmental issue in need
of attention? Do you have inside information on what's
going on in your city or township? With over 5,000
members in Northeast Ohio we count on you to be the
Club's eyes and ears of the region. While the Federal
government and large corporations continue to wreak
havoc on our environment, it is more important than
ever before to act as watchdogs in our own backyards.
For those new to
calling state or federal representatives, it's easier and
less confrontational than it sounds. You will never
speak directly with your rep or senator - an aide
will answer the phone, take brief notes plus your name and city (sometimes), and that's it.