The Ohio legislature is crafting another massive energy overhaul bill for 2025. We need to ensure it benefits all Ohioans.

A major energy bill that is moving through the Ohio legislature could reshape how utilities operate and what consumers pay for electricity. House Bill 15 (HB 15) aims to protect consumers while addressing Ohio's growing energy needs, but important improvements are still needed.

What the Bill Does

The legislation introduces several significant changes to Ohio's energy landscape:

First, it ends the costly coal plant subsidies that currently cost Ohioans $445,000 per day to support aging facilities, including one in Indiana. These subsidies were part of the controversial House Bill 6 from 2019, which led to multiple arrests and convictions in a federal corruption investigation. House Bill 15 would end these subsidies immediately upon the effective date of the bill and save Ohioans even more on their electric bills.

The bill also stops utilities from adding expensive projects to consumer bills without proper review. Currently, utilities can add charges through "Electric Security Plans" with minimal oversight. Both HB 15 would require utilities to undergo thorough regulatory review before raising rates.

For consumers who shop for their electricity supplier, the bill adds protections against sudden price increases and improves billing transparency.

As well, the bill includes a provision that would set up a community energy pilot project. Community energy allows folks to access affordable, distributed energy, produced right in their own communities. With community energy, folks can access local energy and save on their electric bills by subscribing to shared solar installations. This will give Ohioans more control over their energy costs while building a more resilient grid.

What's Missing

While the bill offers important consumer protections, it overlooks two crucial solutions for Ohio's energy future:

Energy Efficiency: As Ohio attracts new data centers and factories, reducing energy waste through efficiency programs would be far cheaper than building new power plants. The bill should include voluntary efficiency programs that help consumers and businesses save money while reducing strain on the power grid.

Energy efficiency is the most immediate and cost-effective tool to address potential energy shortages. It does so by reducing overall energy demand, which costs a fraction of building the new generation needed to power the growth of data centers.

Comprehensive energy legislation should include voluntary energy efficiency programs, such as those considered in HB 79 during the last General Assembly. These programs result in avoided generation costs, improved reliability, reduced need for investment in the grid, economic development, and environmental gains.

What's Next

Our legislature is currently on a two-week spring break, returning April 29th. Lawmakers have been negotiating behind closed doors. The OVEC repeal is currently included in the latest version of the bill, but utility companies are fighting desperately to protect their profits.

As Ohio faces potential energy shortages, we need comprehensive legislation that protects consumers while building a clean, reliable energy system.

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