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Ohio Farm Bureau members want a diversified energy portfolio, the organization told Ohio lawmakers last month.

Testifying before the House Alternative Energy Committee, OFBF Director of Energy Services Dale Arnold said Farm Bureau members support the development of wind, solar, biomass, fuel cell, geothermal and low impact hyrdo technologies. That's in addition to clean coal technologies and use of local gas and oil production, he said.

Arnold also highlighted the importance of "interconnection," which he described as the relationship between consumers and the utility company.

For example, many farms and small businesses use on-site power generation as a risk management tool and would like to see how they can work with a utility to control energy costs. Farmers may be able to utilize a traditional generator, wind, solar energy, a fuel cell or other technologies, according to Arnold.

He pointed out that "net metering" could measure surplus power produced by farms and that utilities should be more open to purchasing this energy. In an ideal situation, farms would also receive a discount for using on-site generation to help manage power distribution during peak demand times, he said.

"With these tools in place, the farmer can become, or hire, an energy manager to help him or her create other strategies further controlling energy costs," he said.

The need to manufacture, install and service on-site power generation and interconnection equipment would also be a boost to the economy.

"(Interconnection) can provide new ways to control energy costs, new businesses, new manufacturing capacity and new jobs for Ohio," he said.

Arnold said Ohio has the ability and the potential to take energy technology to the next level.

"In short, a new relationship between utilities and consumers is needed. The question is where do you want to go?"