 
Results in Ohio:
In Ohio, the Power 2 Change message was broadcast from Columbus to Cleveland and resonated strongly with the public. With 6,830 petition signers and 590 new volunteers recruited in just four weeks, Ohioans have taken note of the importance of energy choices and the 2008 elections. In Upper Arlington, more than 60 individuals joined UA Councilwoman Mary Ann Krauss, the Sierra Club's National Political and Advocacy Director Cathy Duvall and Cool UA's Diane Sturges for a tour of some of the "green" features in Mary Kuhner's home. Just outside of Cleveland, as part of a series of tours, Grace Geothermal allowed the Power 2 Change campaign to showcase a new home being built with many "green" qualities, including a geothermal system and sustainable architectural design. In Sandusky, folks came out for another "green" house party to see the cutting edge of green design and show their support for Ohio's Power 2 Change.
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Below: good and bad energy actions in this state, as profiled in our report.
For truly earth friendly heating and cooling, there are few technologies that beat a system that relies upon the thermal equilibrium beneath the ground. Grace Geothermal has been installing geothermal systems in Ohio for over 25 years. Tony Preziuso and his partners at Grace Geothermal have helped more than 1,000 customers reduce their energy use and global warming emissions while decreasing heating and cooling costs - a very earth friendly option for home-owners and businesses.
The principle behind geothermal systems is relatively simple. In northeast Ohio, the earth at a depth of 4 to 6 feet remains at a steady temperature of about 52 degrees Fahrenheit year round. A geothermal system uses a water solution circulating through pipes buried in the ground to absorb heat from the earth in winter and carry it into the home. The geothermal system inside the home uses a heat pump to concentrate the earth's thermal energy and then to transfer it to air circulated through standard ductwork to fill the interior space with warmth. In the summer, the process is reversed: heat is extracted from the air in the house and transferred through the heat pump to the ground loop piping. The water solution in the ground loop then carries the excess heat back to the earth. The only external energy needed for the geothermal system is the small amount of electricity needed to operate the ground loop pump, fan, and compressor.
Because a geothermal unit uses free energy from the earth, these systems provide up to an 80% reduction in energy use compared to a typical heating and cooling system. A geothermal system can also heat water. Additionally, with a geothermal system, there is no noisy outside unit as with other air conditioning systems.
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) is training young electrical apprentices in the latest technologies to make buildings and systems more energy efficient. IBEW training program Director Steve Lipster emphasizes the enormous leaps that have been made in electrical technology over the past 10 years and how sophisticated efficiency systems are becoming more commonplace in all types of facilities. Steve says that the Electrical Trades Center trains apprentices to be at the forefront of technological innovations that will reduce energy consumption and increase productivity. Trainees learn to install and maintain sophisticated electrical and electronic systems that use innovative computer-based processes to increase the efficiency of operations within manufacturing plants, offices and other facilities.
The IBEW training program in Columbus, Ohio, is based upon an award-winning national program that consists of on-the-job training with a master craftsman, as well as classroom instruction by skilled teachers. The five year Commercial-Industrial Electrician Program covers everything "inside" a facility - power generation, distribution, utilization, as well as alarm, lighting, communication systems, environmental control systems, process control systems; virtually any electrical or electronic system found in today's modern building or factory is the subject of this training. Approximately 210 apprentices are trained in this program annually, with another 100 electricians receiving upgrade instruction through the Trades Center.
The Electrical Trades Center maintains a partnership with Columbus State Community College whereby apprentices can receive college credit for courses they take at the Trades Center. An apprentice who completes six general education requirements and graduates from the apprenticeship program can also obtain an Associates Degree in Applied Technology.
While the total number of employees at Ohio's Dovetail Solar and Wind Company may not be impressive at 11 - what is impressive is that six of them were added in the past year. Dovetail has been installing solar electric, solar thermal and wind turbines in Ohio since 1995 - all, by their choice, comprised of components produced largely in the United States. While Dovetail maintains staff in four Ohio cities, it also hires local licensed electricians and plumbers to assist on installations, expanding the workforce employed in these activities.
Dovetail Solar and Wind Company has completed over 110 solar power system installations in the state, including systems on private home, a 19.3 kilowatt solar photovoltaic array for the Cincinnati Zoo Education Center, an 11 kilowatt solar array for the new Melink Corporation headquarters and a solar array to power Meadow Springs thoroughbred horse breeding farm. Some of these companies have also increased their solar power use, providing Dovetail with even more business.
Dovetail's employees have seen a tremendous increase in interest in renewable energy by Ohio businesses, farms, and institutions in the past two years, and have a number of significantly larger projects underway. They expect to be employing as many as 50 people within the next three years.
High oil prices take toll on Ohio economy
 As oil prices continue to hit record highs, the increasing cost of gasoline is impacting many industries and hitting the wallets of Ohio consumers hard.
The cost of diesel fuel has risen at the pump almost 80% in the last three years, putting truck drivers and trucking companies in a rough spot. According to the U.S. Energy Information Agency, the average cost for a gallon of diesel fuel in the Midwest in March 2008 is more than a dollar higher than in March 2007.
Ed Zumstein, CEO of Ohio-based Zumstein and Cheeseman Trucking, LLC, said the increased fuel prices are putting a strain on his customers in the form of a higher fuel surcharge to do business. "The customers are rebelling against it. We've had more
friction in trying to get some relief on this fuel surcharge this year than ever before simply because of the economic downturn."
A Toledo Blade article reports that some truck owner-operators are shutting their work down because of the high fuel costs, and others are seeing their routes cost more than they make. Still others are dipping into savings to operate, and some trucking companies are cutting jobs.
Zumstein said his company is also absorbing much of the costs as well, but so is everyone else. "It goes all the way down to the consumer. The pressure's being applied and everybody's feeling the hit. I don't see any reprieve from it, honestly. It's pretty bleak." Those prices are felt in other businesses reliant on the trucks -- from construction companies to grocery stores.
According to economist Brian Bethune of Global Insight in an Associated Press article, "Bulky items -- milk, soda pop, eggs, cheese, fruits and vegetables -- probably will have higher transportation costs to bring those items to stores. How much of that is passed along to customers depends. In terms of overall costs of products, it might not be huge. It could be a few cents. But overall it will add up."
Higher oil prices are forcing factories to produce less as well, with both Ford and General Motors recently reporting that they will cut back on production in the second quarter of 2008. As production decreases in all sectors, more jobs are cut. A study last month by the American Trade Manufacturing Action Coalition concluded that Ohio had 209,000 fewer jobs now than seven years ago, a decrease of 3.7 percent.
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