A later version of the bill also included language that would block $152 million in total refunds to AES Ohio electric consumers for what the Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel contends are “unlawful stability charges.”
The bill included language to prevent residents from recovering charges collected before an expected Supreme Court ruling, even if the court determines those charges were improper and subject to refunds, according to the consumers’ office.
If the consumers’ office won its pending appeal challenging AES Ohio’s stability charges, each Dayton-area consumer could receive about $312 in refunds or bill credits, according to the office.
With the bill’s passage, however, that will not happen.
Otherwise, Consumers Counsel Maureen Willis supported the bill. (A spokeswoman for AES Ohio declined to comment on the bill before its passage.)
The bill was “on a good path forward for much-needed regulatory reform, finally repealing the remnants of tainted H.B. 6,” Willis said in a statement Wednesday. “However, the bill’s current refund provisions leave consumers with less, not more protection, than exists today. We urge removal of the refund provision to allow Ohioans the refunds they deserve.”
The refund language was not removed from the bill, a spokeswoman for Willis said.
House Bill 6 was at the center of one of the largest utility scandals in American history, an effort by lawmakers to get ratepayer-funded bailouts for utilities. One result of the scandal: Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison in 2023 for leading a racketeering conspiracy to receive nearly $61 million in bribes and pass a $1 billion nuclear bailout.
“Today’s passage of House Bill 15 is a major victory for Ohio consumers,” said Ohio Sen. Catherine Ingram, D-Cincinnati. “This bill brings much-needed transparency, reduces unnecessary costs, and ensures that our energy policies put the people of Ohio first.”
The bill awaits final approval from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine before becoming law.
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