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It has become a pretty common occurrence to hear about a new startup, a growing business or a very well established Fortune 500 company choosing Ohio as its headquarters.

That’s great for the state’s economy, but making sure we have the energy resources necessary for these new facilities, data centers and the residential growth that comes with them will be the key to their long-term success in the Buckeye State.

Ironically, as more options for energy generation come online, the reliability of energy in Ohio is at risk. Our most dependable source of energy has recently become our most vulnerable, as earlier this year the Environmental Protection Agency released what experts call an “unrealistic and unachievable” rule targeting emissions from numerous power plants across the country, including one here in Ohio that serves over 1 million people in 77 of Ohio’s 88 counties.

The end result would be devastating for Ohioans – decreasing electricity availability and, in turn, threatening supply and increasing costs for citizens and businesses alike.

Reliable energy isn’t the only thing at risk. As more “green” projects are being considered, the loss of valuable farmland isn’t. Policy created just last year through Ohio Farm Bureau’s grassroots process was adopted by the American Farm Bureau Federation. The policy asks AFBF, considering the difficulties surrounding land use management and preserving farmland, to review federal green energy policy, including commercial solar projects, as it relates to farmland impact and reliable power generation, supply, and grid reliability.

Almost as significant as land to keeping Ohio agriculture strong, farmers need reliable energy of all types to keep wheels turning, gears churning, crops growing, fans blowing and every farm running at optimum capacity to keep farmers, as well as their animals, fruits and vegetables healthy, safe and plentiful.

In this issue of Our Ohio, we cover energy from every angle. We’ll reveal trends in oil, natural gas, biofuel, wind, and solar markets to help you prepare for the future, and unveil our new Energy and Utility Issues Resource Guide for members, as well as the latest Ag Intelligence Service report with a focus on energy.

With property rights as the baseline for any conversation on the topic, Farm Bureau is supportive of many types of energy generation and use in Ohio and nationally. Political leaders both in Ohio and nationally need to consider the important impacts current energy policies and decisions are having on an affordable and reliable energy supply for Ohio’s farmers, the ag industry, our farmland and our nation’s food security as a whole. If not, Ohio’s bright economic future may short circuit.