Natural gas is officially labeled “green” in Ohio after Gov. Mike DeWine earlier this month signed House Bill (HB) 507 into law, though the green stamp may not carry much legislative weight for funding or regulations, according to the governor’s office. 

HB 507 passed the Ohio Senate last month, with the primary goal of ensuring state agencies would lease land for oil and gas exploration and production (E&P) activities. 

After some holdups at the state’s Department of Natural Resources Oil and Gas Land Management Commission (OGLMC) to fully adopt a state code from September 2021 to establish a standard lease form by which state agencies could enter contract with E&Ps, the Ohio Senate rolled in an amendment to HB507 that would expedite the standard lease form. 

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