In the waning days of 2016, Ohio Gov. John Kasich vetoed legislation that would have extended for two years a freeze on the state’s clean energy standard. Citing a need to take advantage of the “wide range of energy generation options” in Ohio, Kasich pointed to the “most prized” job creation opportunities in clean energy development in the state and said extending the freeze would amount to “self-inflicted damage to both our state’s near- and long-term economic competitiveness.”
Under the 2008 standard, investor-owned utilities must obtain 25 percent of their energy from advanced energy sources by 2025, with half the energy coming from renewable sources. In 2014, a three-year freeze was enacted.