To amend sections 122.6511, 3313.372, 3313.373, 4905.03, 4906.01, 4906.03, 4906.06, 4906.07, 4906.10, 4909.04, 4909.05, 4909.052, 4909.06, 4909.07, 4909.08, 4909.15, 4909.156, 4909.173, 4909.174, 4909.18, 4909.19, 4909.191, 4909.42, 4928.01, 4928.05, 4928.08, 4928.14, 4928.141, 4928.142, 4928.144, 4928.17, 4928.20, 4928.23, 4928.231, 4928.232, 4928.34, 4928.542, 4928.64, 4928.645, 4929.20, 4933.81, 4935.04, 5727.01, 5727.111, and 5727.75; to enact sections 122.161, 3313.377, 3313.378, 4903.27, 4905.23, 4905.311, 4905.321, 4905.331, 4909.041, 4909.042, 4909.159, 4909.181, 4909.192, 4909.193, 4909.421, 4928.041, 4928.101, 4928.102, 4928.103, 4928.104, 4928.105, 4928.149, 4928.1410, 4928.73, 4928.83, 4928.86, 4929.221, 4929.222, and 5727.76; and to repeal sections 3706.40, 3706.41, 3706.43, 3706.431, 3706.45, 3706.46, 3706.49, 3706.491, 3706.55, 3706.551, 3706.59, 3706.63, 3706.65, 4906.105, 4928.143, 4928.148, 4928.47, and 4928.642 of the Revised Code to amend the competitive retail electric service law, modify taxation of certain public utility property, and repeal parts of H.B. 6 of the 133rd General Assembly.
HB15 revises Ohio’s electric-utility laws in several major ways. It narrows and restructures the competitive retail electric service framework, adds new consumer-protection requirements for electric and natural gas suppliers, and creates a new consumer choice billing program that would allow suppliers to offer consolidated billing for utility customers. The bill also requires advance notices for fixed-rate contracts that convert to variable rates, directs the Public Utilities Commission (PUCO) to adopt rules for supplier changes using customer account information, and extends certain consumer protections to small commercial customers.
The bill also makes substantial changes to utility taxation. It amends the property-tax treatment of electric companies and energy companies, including valuation and assessment rules for production equipment, energy conversion equipment, and other utility property, and it changes how that property is apportioned among taxing districts. In addition, HB15 repeals multiple sections tied to prior clean-energy and solar programs and removes several provisions associated with H.B. 6 of the 133rd General Assembly. It also limits future recovery mechanisms for legacy generation resources after existing electric security plans expire and ends collection of certain solar-related charges and fund disbursements.
Overall, the sentiment around the bill appears strongly favorable in the legislature. The bill advanced with large bipartisan margins in both chambers, including unanimous or near-unanimous committee and floor votes in the Senate and overwhelming support in the House. That voting pattern suggests broad agreement on the bill’s general direction, especially its consumer-protection provisions and repeal of older energy-policy mechanisms.
The main points of contention, based on the structure of the bill rather than recorded debate, are likely to center on its overhaul of utility regulation and tax treatment. Utilities and other market participants may be affected by the new billing rules, certification requirements, and restrictions on competitive service arrangements, while local governments and taxing authorities may be affected by the revised property-tax rules for utility assets. The repeal of H.B. 6-related provisions and the elimination of certain solar and legacy-generation recovery mechanisms also indicate a policy shift away from prior subsidy and cost-recovery structures.