A Message from the Director
As I write this, we are one week from the 16 th Annual Green Energy Ohio Tour! Visitors will have a choice of over 100 sites during the three-day period, including many sites new to the Tour. Individual homeowners, businesses, and public entities throughout the state are opening their doors to share their commitment to clean energy. A lot has changed since the Tour began sixteen years ago, but Tour visitors find new information and inspiration every year. Be sure to check the 2018 Green Energy Tour page to download your Regional Passport with dates, times, and locations - Passports will be posted on Monday.  Take pictures of your favorite sites while you’re on the Tour and submit them for a chance to win prizes. Join your friends and neighbors afterward at a local craft brewery to celebrate the Tour and recognize craft brewers' commitment to sustainability. And be sure to pick up a GEO membership flyer at the host sites or go online to join: GEO Membership . Our members and activists are the people who make programs like the Annual Green Energy Tour possible – there are lots of opportunities for dedicated volunteers to make a difference.

No conversation about the Tour is complete without a special thank you to our generous sponsors: Sustaining sponsor The Akron Zoo , Supporting Sponsor
The Ohio Environmental Council , Central Ohio Regional Sponsor Ecohouse Solar , Southwest Ohio Regional Sponsor Icon Solar, and Route Sponsors AEP Ohio , Modern Energy, Hoon, Inc., Grabill Plumbing and Heating, and Solscient Energy
 
Jane Harf
Executive Director 
Featured Sites
We have flagged several Tour sites as unique opportunities.  In the Cincinnati area, a tour of the Melink Corporation headquarters building is always a great experience, but especially so when the Tour is led by CEO Steve Melink.  In Northeast Ohio the Kent Green Energy Ohio Tour includes a Clean Transportation Cruise-In, featuring the latest in energy efficient vehicles and public transportation.  Spend Friday afternoon on the campus of The Ohio State University in Columbus , visiting the sustainably-designed Ohio Union and learning about OSU’s entry in the EcoCAR 3 contest – an Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition sponsored by the US Department of Energy and General Motors. And stop by the YES Club – a nonprofit after-school and summer program in downtown Newark – to see the 42 solar panels that save the charity over $1,900 a year and provide educational programs about clean energy, conservation, and the environment. D ates and times for these and other special sites that include presentations and guided tours can be found in your Regional Passport.  
Guided Bus Tours
There are lots of ways to enjoy the Tour. You can use the Regional Passport and plan a route for your day. You can carpool with friends, ride your bike between sites and, in the Cleveland area, you have the option of taking a bus tour. Participants on the bus tour will meet at a central location and travel to a number of scheduled stops. Bus Tour participants will have a guide to share information along the route, before disembarking at the sites. More information can be found on the guided bus tour page .
Enter to Win the Tour Photo Contest!
You can win prizes by submitting great photos from the tour! Just post your photos on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #GEOtour; or email tour@greenenergyohio.org with subject line GEO Tour Pics. Photos will be featured on the GEO website, Facebook page, and in the Monthly Connections Newsletter. The Tour Planning Committee will select their favorites and the winners will receive prizes!
Perfect Timing
Not only does the Green Energy Ohio Tour come at the end of National Clean Energy Week , it also coincides with a number of important clean energy events in Ohio:
  • On September 13, a 4MW solar array opened on 17 acres of the closed Brooklyn landfill. Developed and built by GEO members IGS Energy, RBI Solar and TMI Energy Solutions, the facility will provide 5% of the electricity needs for 16 Cuyahoga County commercial buildings.
  • Earlier this week AEP Ohio announced a commitment to develop at least 900 MW of new renewable energy, recognizing the interests of their customers and the long-term viability of the clean energy market.
  • Next week, the Ohio Power Siting Board will begin its hearing on the permit application for Icebreaker Wind , a 20.7 MW demonstration wind farm that will consist of six 3.45 MW turbines located 8 miles north of Cleveland in Lake Erie. Icebreaker Wind will be the first freshwater offshore wind farm in North America. 
614-902-2465
P.O. Box 521
Granville, Ohio 43023