As concerns around electric grid reliability intensify, the need for more sustainable energy options grows. Ohio legislators have a golden opportunity to explore an innovative solution to these problems with House Bill 197.

Introduced by Ohio Representatives Jim Hoops, R-Napoleon, and Sharon Ray, R-Wadsworth, HB197 would create a pilot program to encourage the development of community solar projects in Ohio for both residential and commercial use. 

Community solar is a simple yet transformative concept: it allows residents, businesses and organizations to share the benefits of a solar energy system without having to bear 100% of the associated costs as individuals. Instead, solar modules are installed on rooftops, in parking lots, on capped landfills, or at shared facilities within a community. Participants, including individuals, schools, hospitals, religious institutions, and businesses, subscribe to a portion of the solar energy produced by the panels, offsetting their electric bills and contributing to in-demand, renewable energy generation. 

​So, what are the benefits of exporting, how can your business best take advantage of them, and how can the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce help?

This is a good first-step, however we must continue to maintain our collective voice for a true free-flow connection to central Ohio.