The Ohio Department of Development, Office of Energy administers incentive programs through the Advanced Energy Fund to support investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in the industrial, commercial, and residential sectors. To that end, on December 15, 2011, the Office of Energy launched the Energy Loan Fund that utilizes funds through the Advanced Energy Fund along with federal funds from the State Energy Program. For more information on program requirements, please click here.

Established under Ohio Revised Code (ORC) section 4928.63, the Advanced Energy Fund was funded under ORC 4928.61 that provided for a rider, calculated at $0.09/month per utility bill on retail electric service rates until December 31, 2010. The rider has not been renewed. As a result, the Energy Loan Fund is designed to sustain the remaining funds through the Advanced Energy Fund as a revolving loan fund in order to continue delivering benefits and for customers and achieve the results of verified energy and cost savings, improved environmental quality and positive economic impacts. Since its inception in 1999, the Advanced Energy Fund has invested nearly $60 million in nearly 700 energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. The results have been an energy savings of more than 173,909 megawatt hours annually – enough to power more than 15,000 homes per year.