House Energy Committee hears sponsor testimony on House Bill 15 to restrict utility generation ownership and shift tax treatment

Vice Chair Representative Klopfenstein presented sponsor testimony on House Bill 15 to the House Energy Committee, describing the measure as an effort to modernize Ohio’s regulatory structure and encourage dispatchable baseload generation.

Klopfenstein said the bill would prohibit electric distribution companies from owning generation, bar distribution companies from bidding ratepayer-funded assets into wholesale markets, move tangible personal property tax collection away from generation facilities to transmission and distribution, repeal the Electric Security Plan (ESP) statute, and require standard service offers to be market-based. He said the legislation would also increase bonding requirements for competitive retail electric and gas suppliers, mandate customer notification for contract changes, and enable features such as…