Managing Risk in Ohio

Ohio is transitioning from coal to natural gas for electricity generation, but this shift maintains significant risks. The report advocates for a more diverse energy mix, highlighting the success of the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard in reducing costs and creating jobs through wind, solar, and energy efficiency.

• Ohio is heavily dependent on coal, which provided 66.5 percent of the state's electricity generation in 2012, a rate higher than the Midwest region or the United States overall.
• Natural gas has become the primary replacement for retiring coal plants in Ohio, with generating capacity increasing from approximately 4,000 MW in 2001 to over 10,000 MW in 2012.
• Reliance on fossil fuels exposes Ohio to fuel-cost risks, with coal and natural gas prices in the PJM territory projected to increase by 59 and 119 percent, respectively, over the next 15 years.
• Fossil fuel generation poses reliability risks due to water constraints; coal plants require three to five times more water than natural gas plants, and both are vulnerable to 'energy-water collisions' during droughts or heat waves.
• The transition from coal to natural gas is insufficient to address climate change, as burning natural gas still emits significant CO2 and methane leakage during extraction and distribution further contributes to global warming.
• Ohio's Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard (AEPS) has successfully increased renewable capacity and reduced electricity use, with utilities saving nearly 3.1 billion kWh through energy efficiency between 2009 and 2011.
• Clean energy standards provide economic benefits, including the support of nearly 10,000 jobs in the energy efficiency supply chain and between 5,000 and 6,000 jobs in the wind industry.
• The report recommends that Ohio increase its renewable energy standard to 20 percent or more by 2025 and encourage long-term contracts to lock in stable prices.

APA

Gomberg, S. (2013). Managing Risk in Ohio. Union of Concerned Scientists. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/Managing-Risk-in-Ohio.pdf

Chicago

Gomberg, Sam. Managing Risk in Ohio. Union of Concerned Scientists, 2013. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/Managing-Risk-in-Ohio.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Gomberg |first1=Sam |title=Managing Risk in Ohio |publisher=Union of Concerned Scientists |date=September 2013 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/Managing-Risk-in-Ohio.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{gomberg2013managing, author = {Gomberg, Sam}, title = {{Managing Risk in Ohio}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2013}, month = sep, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/Managing-Risk-in-Ohio.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }