Ohio Hosts Advanced Energy B2B Conference
On October 30-31, 2012, the Advanced Energy B2B Expo was held at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio. The conference brought energy companies, regulators, and researchers together to discuss the diverse portfolio of advanced energy technologies that are being developed and implemented in Ohio including solar, co-generation, and natural gas. James Zheringer, Director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, noted that while Ohio is only in the early stages of developing the Utica shale (431 permits issued, 178 wells drilled, and 36 wells producing natural gas), the shale industry is expected to contribute close to $ 5 billion to Ohio’s gross state product and create nearly 66,000 new jobs by 2014. Todd Snitchler, Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio spoke about the importance of continued innovation and commercialization in the advanced energy sector. Chairman Snitchler also highlighted the importance of having policies in place that will stimulate the growth of advanced energy.