When Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed House Bill 507 into law earlier this month, natural gas officially earned its green energy designation. However, the terminology may not carry much weight in regard to funding or regulations, according to Natural Gas Intelligence.

“Our legal team reviewed the ‘green energy’ provision, and the legislative language did not affect any funding or regulations,” said Dewine’s Press Secretary Dan Tierney in an interview with Natural Gas Intelligence. “It was more of an opinion statement by the General Assembly than anything. This was not administration language from our office.”

“Natural Gas is an important component of Ohio’s energy mix for many reasons, but of relevance here is the fact that natural gas is cleaner than coal and other fossil fuels,” he told Natural Gas Intelligence. “Thus, when we move to natural gas, we are helping our country and the world. While wind and solar are cleaner energy sources, we cannot replace fossil fuel with wind and solar overnight, making natural gas all the more important to our energy mix.”

Although the “green energy” designation means little to the overall functionality of the industry in Ohio, HB 507 rolled in an amendment that would expedite the standard lease form.

Learn more: Natural Gas Intelligence > Ohio Law Labels Natural Gas ‘Green,’ but What Does It Mean?