A conservative think tank is responding to a new report urging the state to invest in clean energy, saying the industry is evolving and could be a good investment, but that doesn’t mean it needs to be propped up by government.
The Buckeye Institute says the state should not pick winners and losers by carving out special policies for alternative resources.
A recent report says Ohio could capitalize on $25 billion in investments if it embraces clean energy. But as the institute’s Greg Lawson argues, these government policies might dole out credits or incentives to companies that already want to invest in clean energy.
“You don’t need government putting their finger on the scales there because people will make decisions. They may not make the decisions in a time frame that certain companies and certain special-interests want but it will eventually happen,” he said.
The report did not name specific policies to support. However, the state’s renewable energy mandates have been at the center of debate. Lawmakers are considering weakening those standards again.
