Senator reintroduces bill to let natural-gas suppliers offer voluntary carbon offsets

Chair Wilkin offered sponsor testimony on Senate Bill 151 during the Senate Public Utilities Committee, saying the bill would permit natural-gas suppliers to offer voluntary carbon offsets to their customers.

"Carbon offsets represent 1 ton of greenhouse gas removed from the atmosphere by any method of mitigation," the sponsor said, citing examples such as planting trees and capturing methane from landfills and farms. He emphasized the program is voluntary: under the bill, customers "may voluntarily purchase both natural gas and carbon offsets from natural gas service suppliers that have voluntarily chosen to offer carbon offsets." The sponsor said the program would operate under the oversight of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO).

The sponsor argued voluntary offsets could "better position natural gas as a viable fuel for Ohio's future" by giving consumers and companies an option to reduce their carbon footprints. He also noted Ohio's role in the Appalachian Basin and the state's continued reliance on affordable natural gas for heating and industry.

Senator DeMoure asked whether the bill could require certain offset projects—such as tree plantings—to occur in Ohio rather than elsewhere. The sponsor said that is a detail the committee and proponents could discuss and that witnesses appearing next week would be able to provide specifics about current offset practices and benefits.

The committee closed the first hearing on SB151 with no immediate action; proponents were scheduled to provide additional technical testimony at a later date.