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Ohio Pursues Alternative Energy

Posted on: Tuesday, 28 February 2006, 15:00 CST

By John Nolan, Dayton Daily News, Ohio

Feb. 28--DAYTON -- Ohio is trying to catch up with other states to encourage electricity production from wind power, and to promote the production and availability of biofuels as an alternative fuel for automobiles.

New proposals by Gov. Bob Taft in both of these areas will help, but Ohio still lags behind other Midwestern states in encouraging alternative energy development and the jobs it could provide, advocates for renewable fuels said Monday.

"It's obviously a first step. Ohio is behind the states all around us," said Bill Spratley, executive director of Green Energy Ohio, a Columbus-based organization which is doing testing at proposed wind power generating sites near Greenville and Bellefontaine.

Commercial-sized wind generating facilities are operating in Minnesota, Illinois, North Dakota, Pennsylvania and California.

Bowling Green's municipal utility started up wind turbines in 2003 and 2004 that satisfy part of the city system's needs, producing enough electricity annually to power 10,000 to 12,000 homes.

There is discussion about whether to establish "wind farms" along Ohio's Lake Erie coast.

The governor said Friday he is requesting legislation to set aside $25 million from Ohio's energy loan fund over five years to encourage construction of wind power generation facilities.

Taft also said he is directing Ohio government to double its use of 85 percent ethanol fuel (E85) in state-owned vehicles this year, going from the current 30,000 gallons to 60,000 gallons, and to increase use of biodiesel fuel in the state fleet by 100,000 gallons annually beginning in 2007.

Although corn-producing states including Minnesota, Iowa and the Dakotas are ahead of Ohio in ethanol production, there is still opportunity for Ohio because of its central location and its size as a gasoline market, said Brian Jennings, executive director of the American Coalition for Ethanol.

Ground has been broken for ethanol plants in Lima and in Harrison and Fayette counties.

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Copyright (c) 2006, Dayton Daily News, Ohio

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Source: Dayton Daily News

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