A study released Monday by the Ohio Chamber of Commerce Research Foundation concluded the state annually misses out on $440 million of investments in potential energy projects—and 5,400 jobs—because of regulatory bottlenecks.

“We can do better,” said Demetrius Thomas, executive director of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce Research Foundation. “We’re not the worst. We’re not the best. We’re kind of in the middle, right?”

The Ohio Power Siting Board manages most of the permit process for energy generation and transmission infrastructure across Ohio. Although state law says the Board should review legal conformities within 60 days and make decisions within 150 days, it often drags much longer, averaging 18 months, the study concluded.

Thomas said the state needs “more teeth” with those deadl

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