| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 68.72 |
| Liaison | Greg Maginn |
| Submission Date | Jan. 18, 2019 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
The Ohio State University
EN-14: Participation in Public Policy
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Kate
Bartter Associate Director Office of Energy and the Environment |
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the municipal/local level?:
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the municipal/local level, including the issues, legislation, and ordinances for or against which the institution has advocated:
Municipal/local: The Ohio State University was a key partner with the City of Columbus in the landmark Smart City grant award from the U.S. Department of Transportation and Vulcan, Inc. (now known as Paul G. Allen Philanthropies) in 2016, pledging $15 million in university resources to help execute Smart City plans. During the first year of the grant and implementation, the university advocated to the Mayor of Columbus and City officials the importance of a city-wide electric vehicle network that incorporates Ohio State’s campus based on best available data where electric vehicles are used and stored.
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the state/provincial/regional level?:
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the state/provincial/regional level, including the issues, legislation, and ordinances for or against which the institution has advocated:
State/regional: The Ohio State University has repeatedly requested the Ohio General Assembly to address the state’s unscientific, restrictive wind energy development setback provisions. The setback provisions significantly deter new wind energy capacity from coming online within Ohio, which continues to impede the university’s potential ability to access this renewable energy source for its operations. In addition, in 2017, Ohio State successfully lobbied the Ohio General Assembly to pass legislation that enables Ohio State to enter into a special purpose contract for our comprehensive energy management partnership that would not inadvertently trigger regulatory obligations from the Ohio Public Utilities Commission that could impede sustainable energy innovation on our campus.
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the national level?:
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the national level, including the issues, legislation, and ordinances for or against which the institution has advocated:
National: During the 2017 fiscal year, the Ohio State University advocated to Ohio’s Congressional delegation the importance of continued funding for key water related sustainability programs ranging from funding for the National Institute for Water Resources, through the Water Resources Research Act, funding for the Ohio Sea Grant program through NOAA, and funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative under the new Trump Administration, given the importance of past funding for understanding, characterizing, and restoring the Great Lakes ecosystem, including Ohio’s portion of the Lake Erie watershed. In addition, Ohio State has consistently lobbied Congress for support of DOE sustainable energy related programs such as ARPA-E, Basic Energy Sciences and the Graduate Automotive Technology Education program.
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the international level?:
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the international level, including the issues, legislation, and ordinances for or against which the institution has advocated:
N/A
A brief description of other political positions the institution has taken during the previous three years (if applicable):
A brief description of political donations the institution made during the previous three years (if applicable):
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.