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Ohio Air Quality Development Authority seeks extra staffing funds amid rising demand
Summary
The Ohio Air Quality Development Authority asked the House Agriculture Committee for modest operating increases to handle a surge in project applications, emphasizing loans over grants, a $3.5 billion bond/loan portfolio and program roles including the solar generation fund.
Christina O’Keefe, executive director of the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority, told the House Agriculture Committee the agency requests $3,900,000 for fiscal year 2026 and $4,700,000 for fiscal year 2027 to support operations and program growth. She said OAQDA is non‑regulatory, governed by a seven‑member board, and finances air-quality and energy-efficiency projects through bonds and loans rather than general revenue.
Why it matters: OAQDA said it has nearly $3.5 billion in outstanding bonds and loans and is fielding roughly $1 billion in active project applications and another $1 billion in inquiries. The agency asked for additional personnel and payroll authority so it can process a projected fivefold increase in applications and manage program compliance, particularly for rural and Appalachian communities where financing needs are greatest.
O’Keefe described the authority’s core programs — the Clean Air Improvement Program and a Small Business Assistance Program — and said most of the agency’s project financing is structured as loans sold to banks and investors; the $3.5 billion portfolio is primarily loaned capital. She noted a small set of grant funds in the agency’s request to assist small businesses in complying with the Clean Air Act; those grants are intended to offset principal and closing costs in partnership with banks.
OAQDA also administers a statutory solar generation fund that pays qualifying generators for reported generation; O’Keefe said three of six statutory facilities currently participate, one is not yet operational and two have chosen not to report generation to OAQDA. Lawmakers asked about contingency plans if federal funding is reduced; O’Keefe said the agency’s spending authority request is based on internally generated revenue and is not a request for general revenue funds.
Committee members asked for further detail on personnel costs, grant‑to‑loan ratios and how the agency identifies state priority investment areas. O’Keefe said she would follow up with detailed accounting and maps. No formal votes were taken during the hearing.
