West Lucas News

State Representative Josh Williams, a Republican from Sylvania Township, has cast his vote in favor of House Bill 15. This bill is designed to enhance power generation in Ohio, improve the affordability of energy for ratepayers, and increase the reliability of the state's electrical grid.

Representative Williams expressed his support for the bill by stating, "By promoting fairness and transparency, incentivizing the generation of new energy, and holding utilities accountable, H.B. 15 will prove to be a major win for consumers and the state of Ohio as a whole." He added that he was honored to vote in favor of it and looks forward to working on more energy-related legislation during this General Assembly.

House Bill 15 proposes several changes aimed at strengthening Ohio's economy through reliable and affordable energy. It includes provisions for intrastate transmission to encourage market competition and grid expansion. Additionally, local communities can apply for a "priority investment area" designation which would exempt companies from certain taxes for five years.

The bill also seeks to improve energy affordability by eliminating Electric Security Plans (ESPs) and requiring utility companies to undergo a comprehensive review by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO). This measure aims to close existing loopholes affecting ratepayer affordability. Furthermore, all Standard Service Offers must become Market Rate Offers (MROs) to increase transparency.

Additional measures prohibit Electric Distribution Utilities from bidding in wholesale markets with customer-funded assets. The collection of new funds for the Solar Generation Fund will stop while settling existing agreements with solar projects. Multi-Year Rate Plans are established at PUCO to ensure rates reflect actual costs.

For future energy needs, House Bill 15 prohibits EDUs from owning generation facilities, introduces shot clocks on regulatory processes to reduce delays, decreases taxes on new energy equipment starting in 2027, and requires updated capacity heat maps published online by EDUs.

The legislation introduces the Community Energy Pilot Program to revitalize brownfields and diversify energy generation across Ohio communities.

This legislative move responds to growing electricity demand as Ohio emerges as a tech hub in the Midwest with companies like Anduril, Honda, and Intel expanding their presence. The bill now awaits consideration by the Ohio Senate.