As this sad election season winds to a close a truly remarkable revolution is emerging from the dust. Over $1 billion in new investment in Ohio wind farms has been announced in recent weeks. What is remarkable is not that it is happening, but that it is happening in spite of a concerted effort by Ohio Republican lawmakers to prevent it.
Wind and solar power have been getting cheaper for over 20 years. About eight years ago wind became cheaper than coal and natural gas generation in some states. By 2011 it was cheap enough that $2 billion invested in Ohio wind turbines and manufacturing was able to produce electricity that undercuts fossil fuels in the wholesale market.
Because Ohio’s electric market is deregulated, our utilities must buy the cheapest power, and utility ownership of more expensive resources doesn’t allow them to self-select. This has caused a flurry of lawsuits and filings intended to bail out some of the most expensive coal and nuclear plants. But it can’t change the fact that wind is cheaper than fossil fuels, and getting cheaper while coal and natural gas get more expensive.
Some Republicans see this coming. Gov. Kasich has stated his opposition to the blanket effort to undermine renewables that Ohio’s Republican lawmakers have conducted for the last three years. But he hasn’t done anything yet to change the performance of his agencies, all of which have actively misled or violated the public trust to undermine renewables.
Utilities are a mixed bag. While some of them own coal and nuclear plants and want handouts, others of them are ready to move into the future. Private companies with market muscle and smart, well-run utilities are eager to build wind. Ohio will get tens of thousands of new jobs and a rapid reversal of the economic doldrums of the last decade if we support them.
In Friday's article a wind opponent asserted that wind can't produce power regularly. This is not true. A single turbine is variable. A thousand turbines is a reliable, steady resource that produces cheap power and eliminates the risk of climate change. Ohio has enough of an electric market to justify building $1 billion worth of wind turbines every six months for the next twenty years. NED FORD, WAYNESVILLE
Could the Arcade become what it was, again?
When I was a young boy (over 80 years ago), my mother would take me to downtown Dayton on the streetcar to shop at Rike’s or Elder’s. One of the stops would be the Arcade. In those days, it was the marketplace— a focal point for many shoppers. It was the only place you could buy fresh fish on any day of the week; Culp’s had a nice cafeteria there; Nolls for a sandwich— and Walkers was the place you had to stop for a glass of orange juice. As the automobile became more important and as grocery stores and shopping centers began to appear all over the county, the Arcade fell into disrepair. Over the years, there have been many ideas put forth on what to do with this historic building—none of which have worked.
Once again we hear talk about revitalizing the iconic building; once again with no real good idea of what to do with it. I would like to suggest that it be put back as it was originally intended — a central market place. I would remind all who laugh, there is no grocery downtown and the population in downtown is increasing with more to come. Perhaps a marketplace where you could order your groceries by app and have them delivered to your door — or perhaps if you are like me, a place you could wander through to pick up the things you need as well as a dozen things you don't need. THOMAS H. ROUTSONG, SPRINGBORO
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