[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6293448,"mediaKeyId","2523273-8d8e6cfc18389a6b5ab1d7d8b2926d36","parentId",2523273,"title","Schools and local officials urge care on property‑tax breaks; developers praise mercantile self‑power and priority investment areas","audioSeconds",341,"startMs",5217000,"endMs",5558000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2523273-8d8e6cfc18389a6b5ab1d7d8b2926d36&start=5217&end=5558","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2523273-8d8e6cfc18389a6b5ab1d7d8b2926d36/thumbnail_5217000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6293448/Ohio/Schools-and-local-officials-urge-care-on-propertytax-breaks-developers-praise-mercantile-selfpower-and-priority-investment-areas","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6293448-03a597b000054031ca8d54b0b81cc927/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139823&Signature=gAiy7njRwPm8~b1l1AYd9ZNeoablETbNxSoIvuJaorkKPaxjhZ9q3-kF3ddScGR5d7CZLejT~j1T1ewoFjhCDqxmiBDbZMFudOaEThINaGWxqfKxX1YLSKYiXElUIBblcbJIzakHQV2JGCZFPAvNpccIbhcp1h7OFaMQJgePbFs-8BIRVaZjNsNJPJAeHEmiFyAlktGPbKLGWOnZCMMDnw7nYgwphG3RDH9qZDOFm6IgGJOw5x4qhwqVFmKhKIllbdekfDfSm1o25WgQNSnbqq7FcLZ09RA7f8y9kvI1F-98Y24NXvGrj70f8K-ZH45nLu84iJ-9F1DiDnbYxsr7Dw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Ohio Legislature","date","2025-02-18T00:00:00Z","article","Local school officials and municipal representatives asked the Senate Energy Committee to preserve local tax revenues while supporting new generation investment proposed in SB2.

Keijan Keaton, treasurer/CFO for Benton Carroll Salem Local School District, and Louis Galante, consultant for Perry Local Schools, told the committee that changes to the tangible personal property (TPP) tax can drastically shrink school and local revenues. Keaton said the district’s public utility valuation fell from roughly $184 million (2016) to about $14 million, and urged the committee to favor the Senate version’s narrower exemption (new assets only) over broader exemptions that would remove current assets from the tax base.

Both witnesses suggested mitigation: sunset review of exemptions, a one‑time transition payment for jurisdictions losing large shares of public utility value, or phased approaches that preserve some local revenue while incentivizing new generation investment. They said abrupt, unrestricted exemptions would shift property‑tax burdens to residential and agricultural taxpayers and could reduce local service capacity.

Industry witnesses including 1 Power and the Ohio Business Roundtable supported the bill’s mercantile self‑power language and creation of Priority Investment Areas (PIAs). Developers said explicit statutory clarity that co‑located behind‑the‑meter projects serving multiple customers will not be treated as public utilities will attract private capital. The PIA concept — expedited siting and temporary tax exemptions for projects in brownfields or former coal sites — drew support as a way to direct generation to lower‑conflict land and speed development.

Committee members indicated they will consider mitigation language to protect affected local governments while continuing to examine PIA design and TPP scope.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Ohio Senate Energy Committee - 2-18-2025 ","oneSentenceSummary","School district representatives and municipal officials asked the committee to limit tangible personal property tax exemptions to new assets and preserve mitigation for lost local revenues; developers and industry witnesses supported priority investment areas and clearer rules for mercantile self‑power systems to attract private investment.","taxTitle","Energy and Public Utilities, Senate, Committees, Legislative, Ohio","taxId",37381,"location","Ohio","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6293452,"Consumer groups warn consumer‑choice billing and forecasted rates could harm households without stronger protections",3382,1648000,5030000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2523273-8d8e6cfc18389a6b5ab1d7d8b2926d36&start=1648&end=5030","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2523273-8d8e6cfc18389a6b5ab1d7d8b2926d36/thumbnail_1648000.jpg","/articles/6293452/Ohio/Consumer-groups-warn-consumerchoice-billing-and-forecasted-rates-could-harm-households-without-stronger-protections","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6293452-fefb70b95ce1601e07d3697b732cd681/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139823&Signature=HxAnUl2JkEl3cHWcBD5AvmGj6NYJfnFLLcIX-Yi5GJGp1Nl7DFUJwfVboDTxJojA-XjqKsSF35ukvzZbaJ5DaxYEGpiSbKLzPL5AqQhZj7GOH1d2NcOL2GfKZcLKVGwgFHKfqFj~dJ1BxQB4IJiHH~lpv10ULjh8~qSMfUB14am~yB-eoBNtOEvkvszi-62QBXjamrYMqlc2zoVBRF4p3uzRBmwuW~UPXNynlIT9x4TNp5eDVdff-PRnz9~H~Hx9-gIT7t6Y~T8x1WBRShiSYIv9Qd4l~7p-LPjo4l9BlZULxM04738KOmzUcB2jnrRohLnd3sjsnQf5CJrwYdEXag__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Consumer advocates told the Senate committee that several SB2 provisions intended to modernize retail billing and supplier interaction need stronger consumer protections before enactment.

Maureen Willis, director of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel, testified as an interested party and said the new Consumer Choice Billing Program — which would allow non‑utility third parties and energy marketers to bill and collect on behalf of suppliers — risks higher costs for non‑shopping customers and would expand marketers’ access to consumers. Willis recommended removing the provision; if retained, she asked the committee to require marketers to pay their own billing costs rather than shifting them to non‑shopping customers, ban door‑to‑door marketing, and strengthen notice requirements for teaser fixed rates that later become variable.

Vistra Corp.’s Arnie Quinn and other supplier witnesses supported customer choice billing as a means to innovate supply offerings and cited programs they run in other states (for example, nights‑and‑weekends products and targeted energy‑aid funds). Quinn said rather than banning marketing methods, the state should raise supplier bonding and registration standards to keep fly‑by‑night operators out of the market.

Consumer witnesses also warned that the bill’s faster PUCO shot clock and allowance of fully forecasted test years could enable interim rate implementations before a meaningful reconciliation — a scenario that would expose consumers to non‑final rates without adequate refund mechanisms.

Witnesses asked the committee to: (1) ensure a symmetrical reconciliation/true‑up so differences between forecasted initial rates and final rates produce refunds or charges as appropriate; (2) require higher bonding and registration standards for competitive suppliers; (3) strengthen notice and disclosure requirements for customers moved from fixed to variable contracts; and (4) prohibit or tightly regulate door‑to‑door marketing if consumer harms are not otherwise addressed.","The Ohio Consumers' Counsel and other consumer advocates said SB2’s consumer choice billing program and forecasted test years could raise prices or expose customers to risky marketing; they urged bans on door‑to‑door marketing, tighter supplier standards, and refund/reconciliation rules.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6293455,"Witnesses urge tighter oversight of transmission 'supplemental' projects, faster PJM interconnection and a grid 'heat map'",2046,1008000,3054000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2523273-8d8e6cfc18389a6b5ab1d7d8b2926d36&start=1008&end=3054","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2523273-8d8e6cfc18389a6b5ab1d7d8b2926d36/thumbnail_1008000.jpg","/articles/6293455/Ohio/Witnesses-urge-tighter-oversight-of-transmission-supplemental-projects-faster-PJM-interconnection-and-a-grid-heat-map","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6293455-a066c8f53191e7fc2c9cc399d001f574/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139823&Signature=LDPgb2sOMz9Q~MFnApY-QzB-LC1~OS2xFvOq9pnBpyky~TEJ3ido34wY5lPUZ87eb5s4sEm-jMTnRYxmQuiITBP4KNufEQK~DmUepIkpxy-c-H1mc87aDCGp3u12Us0~mRBjg7GZglZrkwgp7tYv9sSuBmDWIRc6m4jcIpG3oFVVyr91WIXcJRf1mH4S~RCzAwNodYJ38W9HMZkBDUcq6kr8CjRUxjcKOXjI~b1z7DUcHUQNrN3FiSvYLCDObc2hDCOGkQQzgzP~2zyRqBfq18aUoDWuq5PhIPDwMREv9Z3wsdVYXEttNlis7-m5bwfplkd8CLauZsfS~qVft3elgA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Multiple witnesses at the Senate Bill 2 hearing flagged growing transmission costs in Ohio and urged statutory changes to increase oversight and speed interconnection for new generation and large loads.

David Proano and other witnesses showed committee figures indicating that utilities categorize many projects as “supplemental,” a classification that receives a lighter review at PJM and shifts the project costs to in‑state ratepayers. Proano told the committee the Ohio Power Siting Board’s jurisdiction currently begins at 100 kilovolts and that many costly projects occur at 69 kV; he proposed lowering OPSB jurisdiction to 69 kV so those projects receive greater scrutiny.

Several witnesses — including the Ohio Independent Power Producers and 1 Power Company — pressed for faster interconnection and a shorter PJM queue. Tom Copas and other developers said PJM interconnection waits can run five to seven years, discouraging private merchant generation. Katie Treadway of 1 Power suggested adding a “self‑build” option for new large loads so developers can build substations to utility standards and hand them to utilities to own and operate, which she said could shorten timelines.

Tom Bullock and others urged the committee to publish a statewide “hosting capacity” or heat map so generators and customers can identify where the grid can accept new generation or large loads without costly upgrades. Proponents said medium‑scale distributed projects (community solar, co‑located behind‑the‑meter projects) could be deployed in 18 months and relieve near‑term demand pressure while larger transmission and PJM processes proceed.

Industry and economic‑development witnesses told the committee that lowering project review thresholds, improving interconnection timelines, and better transparency would reduce costs, speed private investment and make Ohio more competitive for data centers and advanced manufacturing.

Committee members did not vote; witnesses said they would work with staff on statutory language to reduce regulatory gaps.","Industry and advocacy witnesses told the committee that many expensive transmission projects have been classified as 'supplemental' and escape regional review. They urged lowering the Ohio Power Siting Board threshold to 69 kV, better PJM interconnection processes, and publication of hosting‑capacity maps to speed projects and reduce costs.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6293456,"Committee hears contested changes to rate-making: shot clock, forecasted test year and mini rate cases draw concern",189,1867000,2056000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2523273-8d8e6cfc18389a6b5ab1d7d8b2926d36&start=1867&end=2056","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2523273-8d8e6cfc18389a6b5ab1d7d8b2926d36/thumbnail_1867000.jpg","/articles/6293456/Ohio/Committee-hears-contested-changes-to-rate-making-shot-clock-forecasted-test-year-and-mini-rate-cases-draw-concern","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6293456-4777b151a9a337def054d4d89b9121f8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139823&Signature=dBo4zzm2~BHi7l1NVSAJgBTbJ9-DBJcGKuprv3ECNY0v~AAa~Oo-hWC02jakoOEOBaYrTMtvcFhBrTye3eJb6LKgtDVbY8SLHP36aCUreplfBFuEbEYjvhf52dbp-iHoO506c4hah99AYfruYsT~dEJWoDi6wKfGktlguVLkOLydJ611xAsG5DcSZDWrpOEseuU0PmvIWufwJg9Vq3avDmIEVy-3ARiQrixH2-EAfwMJC00wlPAekNI~Lzo32tAz7~EjTYdvl-YIxn440vElLmeW0zngOWzxjqXkLEgxEIg41~W0QQNZVPobibSGnOGqYu8BoB7YLzUgr8hIOCi-4w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 2 would overhaul Ohio rate‑making practice, and witnesses at the committee hearing offered competing views on how far to go.

The bill sets a 275‑day deadline for the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to issue rate orders — a change multiple proponents called necessary to reduce Ohio’s regulatory lag. Supporters including the Ohio Business Roundtable and Ohio Manufacturers Association said long delays (they cited an average of roughly 17 months) inflate costs; Alexandra Dunne of the Ohio Business Roundtable said faster decisions would help attract generation investment.

Consumer advocates applauded the shot clock but warned against the bill’s current automatic‑approval consequence. Maureen Willis of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel urged that the law should not allow interim rates to go into effect after 275 days without preserving the current right to refunds when final orders diverge from interim charges.

A second contested element is the bill’s allowance of fully forecasted test periods for initial rates and use of a 13‑month rolling average for valuation. David Proano and consumer witnesses said forecasted test years can disadvantage ratepayers because initial rates would rely on projected utility expenses and could be set before test‑period data are complete; they urged safeguards in the true‑up mechanism to ensure refunds or reconciliations when forecasts differ from actuals.

SB2 would also remove “date‑certain” valuation in favor of a rolling valuation and create a mini rate case process to recover certain economic‑development capital expenditures outside of a full rate case. Industry witnesses (Ohio Energy Group and manufacturers) supported the mini‑case idea as a way to preserve programs that incentivize interruptible load and economic development — programs that large industrial users say helped during Winter Storm Elliott. Consumer and environmental witnesses urged either strict dollar limits or elimination of the mini rate case to avoid creating a new rider‑style mechanism that bypasses comprehensive review.

Finally, witnesses urged the committee to clarify discovery deadlines that would otherwise end 215 days after application, and to ensure that any accelerated schedule does not unduly curtail parties’ ability to obtain evidence in complex proceedings.

No formal action was taken at the hearing; witnesses asked the committee to adopt targeted amendments ensuring (1) a shot clock without automatic, non‑refundable interim rates, (2) a robust true‑up and reconciliation if forecasted test years are used, and (3) narrow, capped authority for any mini rate cases.","Witnesses debated SB2 provisions that would impose a 275‑day decision deadline for PUCO rate orders, allow forecasted test years, eliminate the date‑certain asset valuation and create 'mini' rate cases for economic development — with consumer advocates warning of risks and industry urging faster decisions.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6293457,"Proponents at Senate hearing push to end OVEC coal subsidies immediately and refund unspent solar funds",9041,305000,9346000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2523273-8d8e6cfc18389a6b5ab1d7d8b2926d36&start=305&end=9346","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2523273-8d8e6cfc18389a6b5ab1d7d8b2926d36/thumbnail_305000.jpg","/articles/6293457/Ohio/Proponents-at-Senate-hearing-push-to-end-OVEC-coal-subsidies-immediately-and-refund-unspent-solar-funds","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6293457-060d9eae7202450c4ca226444d8e7594/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139823&Signature=AaoTKPlfiQ2N88Ob4kTX2haee5dvaSsXZ8z-B3gtO5juLsJEMbSsE~JVrLlcfhgekkZMEKk6xxvOeAXtJGh83wyEVvcPRDJdPeFSt11hCX4BFf-WxHf1Sbc2TcRBObhX5It1RiwTxSIxM8020X2x6DLea3ODM~kMuGcJ54vzV1Ht6Q0tZ7Cnp2ofecyyx-FEfys1an6YNdw9~oRnBerB-9ti5me8Zqcc1nzYEpLKnUAmjXDao4bSBX8luIVHv6cWX6DnGGJx-ka0K4dJKuf35pbO69RIkA~zxjbrg1HO~VcBtHsouDr8ctOtPr4HyoJdSsO1Yit6GC3Pw36d9y7NIw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Supporters of Senate Bill 2 told the Ohio Senate Energy & Public Utilities Committee that the bill should immediately end long-standing subsidies to the Ohio Valley Electric Corporation and return unspent solar-generation fund money to consumers.

At a second hearing on the bill, industry and consumer witnesses said OVEC subsidies — which were put into Ohio law in prior legislation and are collected through riders on customer bills — have cost Ohio ratepayers hundreds of millions of dollars and continue to distort wholesale markets. David Proano, regulatory counsel to the Ohio Energy Leadership Council, said OVEC-related riders have cost “over $600,000,000” since the rider was enacted and asked that the bill be amended so the charges end on enactment rather than being tied to each utility’s later expiration date for electric security plans.

The Ohio Consumers’ Counsel’s director, Maureen Willis, called the bill’s provision requiring prompt refunds for PUCO-approved charges “one of those ‘pinch me’ provisions,” and urged the committee to ensure consumers receive refunds for charges that courts or regulators later find unjust or unreasonable. Willis and other witnesses said HB 6–era subsidies, including solar program payments, have left large balances and that any remaining solar-generation fund money should be returned to customers.

Proponents from the Ohio Independent Power Producers and the Ohio Manufacturers Association likewise supported ending the OVEC subsidy now. Tom Copas of OIPP said the OVEC plants are aging (built in the 1950s) and that continued subsidies blunt market discipline and discourage investment in new generation. The Ohio Manufacturers Association asked that the subsidies be ended immediately, saying continued payments could add hundreds of millions more to consumer bills.

Not all details were agreed: witnesses warned the committee the timing of elimination interacts with pending PUCO audits and utility electric security plan (ESP) expirations. Proano and consumer advocates asked the committee to preserve the PUCO’s pending audit authority so the commission can complete prudency reviews of OVEC charges paid to date before the subsidy language is removed.

The bill as introduced would repeal the solar generation fund and OVEC-related riders; proponents urged the committee to add explicit language that (1) ends OVEC charges upon enactment and (2) preserves PUCO authority to audit past OVEC charges so that refunds or other remedies can be determined.

Ending the subsidies and refunding unspent solar funds were framed as market‑level fixes that would encourage private investment, restore fair competition in PJM wholesale markets, and reduce ongoing costs imposed on residential and commercial customers.

Several witnesses asked the committee to weigh how quickly to end OVEC payments and to preserve auditing and refund mechanisms so the state can both stop further subsidies and hold any past charges subject to review.

Looking forward, proponents said repeal would not necessarily force plant closures; OVEC’s intercompany agreements run for decades and owners in other states may continue to recover costs from their own ratepayers.","Supporters of Senate Bill 2 urged the Senate Energy & Public Utilities Committee to eliminate Ohio Valley Electric Corporation (OVEC) subsidies upon enactment and to refund solar generation fund balances to ratepayers, saying continued subsidies distort markets and cost consumers hundreds of millions.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Schools and local officials urge care on property‑tax breaks; developers praise mercantile self‑power and priority investment areas

Consumer groups warn consumer‑choice billing and forecasted rates could harm households without stronger protections

Witnesses urge tighter oversight of transmission 'supplemental' projects, faster PJM interconnection and a grid 'heat map'

Committee hears contested changes to rate-making: shot clock, forecasted test year and mini rate cases draw concern

Proponents at Senate hearing push to end OVEC coal subsidies immediately and refund unspent solar funds