COLUMBUS — A new group is gathering petition signatures to change the Ohio Constitution and require the state to issue $1.3 billion in annual bonds for 10 years for unspecified clean-energy projects.

The petition drive is being funded by the owners of Pro Energy Ohio LLC, which was formed in Delaware in June 2011. Pro Energy Project Coordinator John Clarke and campaign spokeswoman Evonne Richardson both declined to answer questions about Pro Energy Ohio owners or say who is behind the campaign.

The campaign website, yesforohiosenergyfuture.org, under the “who we are section,” says: “We are Ohioans who believe that the best Ohio can be is still to come. We are Ohioans who believe Ohio has the people and the will to lead and to accomplish this and more. We are Ohioans and we believe in what we can do.”

The group needs to collect 385,247 valid voter signatures from across the state by July 3, 2013 in order to make the November 2013 ballot.

Typically, such a drive costs $2.25 million to $2.75 million if a campaign is using paid circulators, said Ian James, chief executive of The Strategy Network and Professional Petition Management.

The proposed constitutional amendment calls for requiring the state to issue $1.3 billion in annual bonds for 10 years, earmark at least $65 million in the first year for the Ohio Energy Initiative Commission for operational expenses, and seek federal money for clean-energy projects and then cede authority for awarding that money to the Ohio Energy Initiative Commission.

The amendment would also bar the General Assembly from setting criteria for how the bond proceeds shall be used.

Still, the bonds would be backed by the full faith and credit of the state and Ohio taxpayers would be on the hook for paying back the bonds.

“This is a huge amount of money that this group is asking the voters of Ohio to just trust them with.

“It’s a huge problem, especially since we have no idea who they are,” said Brian Kaiser, director of green jobs and innovation for the Ohio Environmental Council.

“We think the ballot issue is dangerous. It lacks any fundamental transparency or accountability. It’s not what the clean-energy business community wants or needs in terms of policy.”

The Ohio Environmental Council was one of 11 environmental groups that sent a letter to the amendment backers, saying their organizations do not support the “Ohio Clean Energy Initiative” and asking that they stop the campaign.

Clarke described Pro Energy Ohio as a business that employs a couple dozen workers and buys and sells energy rights.

Richardson described herself as a community activist who has been involved in neighborhood issues and raised money for the local Sierra Club chapter.

Richardson said the Ohio Clean Energy Initiative will have protections in place to make sure the bond money is awarded to smart, viable projects.

“It will create jobs. It will be run with oversight to protect (the money,)” she said.