DevelopOhio

Federal energy policy is making many new incentives available for local governments to fund energy-related assets. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), enacted in 2022, established a set of energy-related asset categories that are now being directly subsidized by the federal government. Under the IRA, nearly any advanced or renewable energy asset constructed by a local government is eligible for some kind of federal cash subsidy. For more, read the full article.

The Ohio Clean Hydrogen Energy Alliance, a “coalition of energy producers, industrial consumers, research institutions, elected officials and community leaders,” is seeking $2 billion in funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to develop a Clean Hydrogen Hub in Ohio, the Business Journal reports. The Stark Area Regional Transit Authority (SARTA), Dominion Energy, The Midwest Hydrogen Center of Excellence, and Cleveland State University formed the Alliance in January. Since then, “more than 70 public and private sector entities have joined,” including Batelle Memorial Institute and Columbia Gas, according to the article. The Alliance said “an Ohio-based hydrogen hub could generate billions of dollars in public and private sector investment, fuel hydrogen and zero emission research and development, create and preserve thousands of skilled jobs, and lead to a significant reduction in emissions.” For more, read the full article.

Bricker & Eckler energy attorneys Kara Herrnstein, Karia Ruffin and Dylan Borchers will present a webinar, Tuesday, January 25, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. EST, to recap an active 2021 year for solar development in Ohio and look ahead to potential development trends and issues in 2022. Topics covered will include a survey of projects at the Ohio Power Siting Board, implementation of Senate Bill 52, administrative rulemakings, battery storage development in Ohio, PILOT program updates and more. Register here >>

The parking lot at JPMorgan Chase’s McCoy Center at Polaris doubles as “a giant solar farm” that includes “about 40,000 [solar] panels covering about 165,000 square feet,” making it the second largest commercial office solar installation worldwide, The Columbus Dispatch reports. The bank, the largest private employer in the Columbus region, previously installed solar panels on the roof of the McCoy Center; combined with the parking lot installation, the panels will “meet 75% of the electricity needs” of the building, “said to be the largest single-user office building in the U.S. after the Pentagon,” according to the article. The bank set a “target to finance and facilitate more than $2.5 trillion over 10 years — including $1 trillion for green activities — to advance long-term solutions that address climate change and contribute to sustainable development.” For more, read the full article. 

If passed, recently introduced legislation H.B. 450 permits community solar development in Ohio. Join Bricker & Eckler attorneys Dylan Borchers and Matt Koppitch, Wednesday, December 8, at 10:30 a.m. EST, as they discuss how the proposal works. They will also chat with State Representative Brian Baldridge, one of the bill's sponsors, about his motivation for sponsoring the proposal and the path forward for community solar in Ohio. Register here >>