House Energy Committee hears bill to codify PUCO decision allowing landlords to resell electricity

The Ohio House Energy Committee held a second hearing on House Bill 173, which would codify a recent Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) decision allowing landlords or their agents to resell electricity to tenants on private property while giving the commission regulatory oversight.

Supporters said the bill would end litigation uncertainty for multifamily property owners and enable investments — such as solar, EV charging and energy-management devices — by clarifying that resale behind a property master meter does not make the seller a public utility. "House Bill 173 seeks to codify the Commission's determination that the resale or provision of electricity by landlords or their agents to tenants is authorized and does not deem those businesses to be public utilities," said Kim Boyko, partner at Carpenter Lipps, testifying on behalf of Champion Companies.

Champion Companies and other proponents told the committee the PUCO has already concluded in recent orders that landlords and submetering firms may resell electricity provided tenants are separately metered and the tenant's total charge does not exceed the local utility's applicable standard…