Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Energy Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
House Energy Committee favors House Bill 15 after tabling rider to extend legacy cost recovery
Summary
The House Energy and Natural Resources Committee favorably reported Substitute House Bill 15 by a vote of 23–1 after adopting a series of technical and policy amendments. Lawmakers debated, then tabled, an amendment that would have kept cost‑recovery riders for legacy generation resources in effect through Dec. 31, 2026, by a 17–7 roll‑call vote.
The House Energy and Natural Resources Committee favorably reported Substitute House Bill 15 on a 23–1 vote after adopting several technical and policy amendments and tabling a proposed extension of a legacy cost‑recovery rider.
The committee adopted multiple technical amendments without objection, including fixes to behind‑the‑meter provisions, a return to a 90‑day deadline (rather than 45 days) for the power board’s accelerated review, a restoration of prior interruptible‑rate language to allow cost‑shifting for program effectiveness, and a technical change to the electrical‑service definition used in certified territories. Representative Lear also won an amendment clarifying that customer‑sited renewable‑resource agreements filed with the Public Utilities Commission before the bill’s effective date will remain governed by the prior law.
The session’s most contested item was an amendment by Representative Rob Blaisdell to allow a rider or cost‑recovery mechanism for legacy generation resources that were in effect before the bill’s effective date to remain in place through Dec. 31, 2026. Blaisdell said the change reflected ongoing committee discussions and aimed to “preserv[e] Ohio’s reputation as a trustworthy and stable place to do business.”
Representative Brennan urged the committee to table the rider amendment, citing what he said were past subsidies to the Ohio Valley Electric Corporation. "Ohio's rate payers have already subsidized the OVEC plants in the tune of over $500,000,000," Brennan said, calling the subsidy part of "the culture of corruption" tied to previous legislation. He told colleagues an immediate repeal would allow lawmakers to tell constituents they had acted to reduce electric bills.
Opponents of immediate repeal, including Representative White and Representative Humphrey, said an abrupt removal of the recovery mechanism could create financial harm for some utilities and send a damaging message to investors. Representative White said the committee should provide an off‑ramp and argued for a transition date rather than an immediate cutoff, noting the per‑customer savings at issue were small in the short term but that sudden reversal could affect credit ratings, pensions and investment decisions. "I'm not in favor of keeping [the subsidy] through the contract, but we need an off ramp," White said.
After debate, Vice Chair Klopfenstein moved to lay the Blaisdell amendment on the table. The clerk called a roll; the motion carried 17–7. The committee then voted 23–1 to favorably report the substitute bill. The transcript does not specify the bill’s next formal destination.
The record shows the committee’s actions were largely procedural and technical except for the contested rider amendment. The committee adopted several named amendments by voice without recorded roll calls and recorded roll‑call votes on the tabling motion and on the final committee report.
