West Stark News

State Representative Jim Thomas from Jackson Township has cast his vote in favor of House Bill 15. The bill proposes a series of changes to Ohio's electrical grid, focusing on increasing power generation, improving affordability for ratepayers, and enhancing the reliability of energy supply.

Rep. Thomas expressed his approval, saying, “I am pleased to support reliable and affordable energy for Ohioans for many years to come.”

The proposed legislation aims to strengthen Ohio's economy through reliable and affordable energy. It allows for intrastate transmission to increase market competition and encourages local communities to apply for a “priority investment area” designation. This designation exempts companies from certain taxes for five years, promoting new energy developments.

House Bill 15 also seeks to improve energy affordability by requiring utility companies to approach the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio for rate cases, closing ratepayer loopholes and enhancing transparency. It stops new collections for the Solar Generation Fund, opting to settle existing agreements, and introduces Multi-Year Rate Plans to align consumer rates with actual costs.

Additionally, the bill plans to cater to future energy needs by prohibiting Electric Distribution Utilities (EDU) from owning generation facilities, establishing new timelines for regulatory bodies, and reducing specific property taxes on new energy infrastructure. The initiative requires transparency, requiring EDUs to update their system capacity heat maps online and directs the PUCO to hold annual stakeholder meetings.

Responding to Ohio's status as a tech hub in the Midwest and the accompanying demand for electricity from companies like Anduril, Honda, and Intel, the bill presents a strategy geared toward meeting business growth while maintaining affordability for consumers.

The bill will now be considered by the Ohio Senate.