Witnesses tell Ohio House panel HB 142 would give gas utilities broader powers, reduce consumer protections

Opponents of House Bill 142 told the Ohio House Energy Committee on Wednesday that the bill would expand utilities' ability to collect projected costs from customers, weaken oversight at the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio and leave residential consumers exposed to higher bills.

Karen Nordstrom, clean energy attorney for the Ohio Environmental Council Action Fund, told the committee she opposes the bill’s Section 4 (903.3) “which codifies a 3 pronged test for stipulations or settlements at the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.” She said that codifying the test would “functionally operate[] to rubber stamp settlements between utilities, intervening parties and commission staff.”

The Ohio Manufacturers Association and the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel also opposed the measure. Kim Boyko, partner at Carpenter Lipps representing the Ohio Manufacturers Association’s Energy Council, said the bill would allow gas utilities to use projected test periods, “lock in a potentially outdated or overly generous rate of return,” put projected rates into effect immediately on a PUCO order and require the Commission to approve many commercial agreements while ignoring revenues from those agreements when setting rates.

Maureen Willis, director of the…