Our energy savvy members want to remind Ohioans that you can start using renewable energy in your homes, now. If you live in Columbus, the city has negotiated an aggregated plan (power purchase agreement) with AEP called Clean Energy Columbus. It allows you to sign up for a 100% renewable electricity plan at 5.5 cents per kilowatt hour. All you need to do is call AEP to sign up. If you don’t use AEP, check with your own provider. If they don’t offer the City negotiated power purchase agreement you might at least see if they offer an equivalent renewable energy credit product.
If you don’t live in the City of Columbus, you can do some advocacy. Not everyone in Ohio can benefit from solar energy. If you don’t live in the City of Columbus, you can do some advocacy. Not everyone in Ohio can benefit from solar energy. Renters and people who can’t install solar on their homes are out of luck. The Simply Living organization urges your support of a new bipartisan bill, HB 450, would allow all Ohioans to go solar by legalizing community solar programs. Community solar lets anyone subscribe to a share of a larger solar array located off-site. The electricity produced by that share is credited to their electric bill. This allows them to enjoy the financial benefits of solar energy, just as if the solar panels were on their own roof. Please urge your state representatives to support community solar. Once community solar is up and running, more than 333,000 Ohio families will be able to take part in solar energy. Click here to tell your rep to support HB 450.
A lot of our individual creation care efforts seem virtuous but not very effective in the great scheme of things. Buying only renewable electricity can make a real difference, both taking your money away from fossil fuel power and encouraging the production of more renewable energy.
