Dylan Borchers Weighs In on Landmark Ohio Energy Law Opening Doors for Solar Development

Ohio’s recently enacted House Bill 15 may be best known for its support of “dispatchable” energy like gas and nuclear, but buried within the sweeping legislation are significant opportunities for the state’s solar industry — and Bricker Graydon attorneys are helping make sense of what it means.

In a recent Canary Media feature, Bricker Graydon energy attorney Dylan Borchers offered key insights on how HB 15’s technology-neutral incentives could empower large energy users to diversify how and where they source power.

“That is significant, all by itself,” Borchers said, referring to the law’s new flexibility for behind-the-meter generation. “Just as importantly, the law allows essentially a portfolio approach for customers and energy resources.”

HB 15’s changes remove long-standing barriers by loosening restrictions on behind-the-meter systems and streamlining the siting process on brownfields and minelands. The law also lowers the tax burden for new power generation projects, which Borchers notes could lead to more targeted investments in local priorities.

“Developers that take advantage of the lower tax rates available under HB 15 may have more financial flexibility to fund some projects that local governments want most,” Borchers explained, such as fire stations or community centers — projects that might have been out of reach under more rigid PILOT program structures.

Read the full article from Canary Media here.