A statewide business coalition believes Ohio should harness the demand of data centers, the incredibly energy-intensive facilities being built across the state, in part by overhauling the state’s permitting and siting processes.
The state could face electric shortages as soon as two years from now, according to the Ohio Business Roundtable, and demand could double by 50% by 2034 after more than a decade of stagnancy. The vast majority of that demand will come from power-hungry customers like data centers or manufacturing plants.
In a study published Wednesday, the Ohio Business Roundtable argues that projects are being delayed partly because of the present regulatory system the state has. One way to address that, according to the roundtable, is by putting a 90-day window—or shot clock—on reviews of energy infrastructure projects.
Pat Tiberi, Ohio Business Roundtable president and chief executive officer, said some neighboring state’s processes are “much more streamlined.”
“To build a pipeline or transmission line in Indiana takes half the time, and therefore half the cost,” Tiberi said. “That’s what we’re trying to to address here.”
Other study recommendations included establishing a non-regulatory state agency to oversee the state’s energy systems, incentivizing investment on former coal and brownfield sites, allowing utilities earlier recovery by holding the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to a 275-day timeline, among others.
Legislators have done very little in the way of energy since House Bill 6, the legislative part of a nuclear power plant bailout scandal that led to numerous federal convictions and indictments. But to start the 136th General Assembly, lawmakers and lobbyists are abuzz with possible energy policy changes—lengthy bills are being considered in both the Ohio House and Senate.
Americans for Prosperity (AFP) Ohio and the Buckeye Institute recently put out a 36-page report that also pushes for looser permitting restrictions. The powerful pair of conservative lobbyists are encouraging lawmakers to axe power plant subsidies, particularly those for green energy projects, too.
Like AFP-Ohio and the Buckeye Institute, the Ohio Business Roundtable study argues against any reliance on renewable energy sources, like solar or wind, in part because projects take longer to come online, but also because of their weather-dependence.
