Rep. Johnson attends energy roundtable in Scio

BY JD LONG (jim@harrisonnewsherald.com)

SCIO—On Monday, Congressman Bill Johnson (R, District 6) stopped to answer questions on his time at the Scio Williams plant after attending a roundtable discussion on energy.

Policy updates and regulatory concerns were exchanged, and Johnson was informed of current events in the industry and federal issues the energy industry is facing. The 45-minute conference was not open to the public but was represented by six companies, according to Mike Chadsey, director of public relations for the Ohio Oil and Gas Association.

“We’re sitting on top of some of the richest reserves of oil and gas in the world,” Johnson explained, “and America is leading the way in the production of natural gas and gas-fired electric power [and] some of the cleanest forms of electric power generated on the planet.” Johnson talked of meeting those companies and touring the plant because of the resources they have.

When asked about the two new companies moving into Harrison County — Nottingham Solar and West Magnesium — Johnson spoke positively about the moves but admitted he didn’t know much about the solar company. “Look, I’m not against alternative energy forms like wind and solar. I just believe those solutions should be market-driven,” Johnson explained. “We need to figure out how to harness the wind’s energy and the sun’s energy so that we can pour it out on our electric grid when we need it, on-demand rather than just producing energy when the wind blows or the sun shines.”

Nottingham Solar, who announced their move last month, saidaround 400 temporary jobs would be created during construction and 20 more part- and full-time jobs upon completion. On the other hand, West Magnesium stated they would be bringing around 200 permanent jobs.

Johnson was also asked about Scio’s bid to annex land, which includes the Williams plant. But he chose not to inject his personal opinion, considering it strictly a local issue as he legislates on the federal side of government. “That’s a state or a local issue. I’m a federal representative. That subject didn’t even come up today,” he said.

Regarding energy being produced from the ground, Johnson repeated what others have alluded to: By 2050, 45% or more of America’s demand for natural gas will come from “this region of the country.” He also talked of certain pressure on the industry with federal regulations naming the Green New Deal, among others.

There were no surprises during the conference, Johnson said as he emphasized concentrating on the influence of oil and gas being harvested from the ground, something that has been done for decades. According to Johnson, other states have been reviewing Ohio’s practices since they’ve been regulating the industry since 1965. “And a lot of people don’t realize that the first producing oil well in the North American continent is not in Texas. It’s not in Oklahoma. It’s not in Louisiana. It’s right here in Ohio,” Johnson stated.