Antonio Celebrates Passage of Energy Policy Overhaul

Today, Senate Democratic Leader Nickie J. Antonio (D-Lakewood) commended the Ohio Senate’s passage of House Bill 15, which makes significant changes to Ohio’s energy policies to protect consumers, increase power generation, and improve the state’s electric grid. House Bill 15 largely mirrors Senate Bill 2, which was unanimously passed by the Senate in March.

“Today marks a critical step forward for Ohioans who have been burdened by the unjust costs of House Bill 6,” said Antonio. “For far too long, Ohio families and businesses have paid the price for an energy policy that prioritized corporate interests over the well-being of communities. This legislation protects consumers, holds utilities accountable, and ensures that Ohioans no longer bear the financial weight of corrupt legislation.”

If enacted, House Bill 15 would:

• Promote accountability and transparency for consumers by requiring utilities to routinely come in for rate cases and justify how they spend ratepayer-collected money;
• Immediately end the “Legacy Generation Rider” so that Ohioans no longer have to foot the bill for OVEC subsidies, saving Ohio ratepayers nearly $450,000 per day;
• Create a permissive school energy efficiency loan program to reduce energy costs for public schools; and
• Protect consumers by codifying that they receive refunds for improper charges.

House Bill 15 now heads back to the Ohio House of Representatives for concurrence.