April 30, 2025
OEC Action Fund Statement on the Passage of Energy Reform Bill
For Immediate Release:
April 30, 2025
Contact:
Karlena Wallace, Communications Director
media@theoec.org or 614-487-7506
OEC Action Fund Statement on the Passage of Energy Reform Bill
Columbus, OH — Today, Ohio takes a significant step toward a more modern, fair, and accountable energy system. The OEC Action Fund applauds the 136th General Assembly for passing House Bill 15. This bill will protect consumers, promote transparency, and begin to undo years of utility-driven policy that put profits over people and reliability.
This legislation delivers long overdue reforms to Ohio’s Energy Policy:
- Cost Savings: Immediate repeal of the OVEC coal bailout (Legacy Generation Resource Rider) that subsidized outdated, polluting coal facilities, charging $90 million per year on Ohioans’ energy bills
- Improved Reliability: Promotes investment in Advanced Transmission Technologies (ATTs) to achieve higher capacity out of the existing transmission grid
- Increased Utility Accountability: Improves transparency and establishes stronger reliability standards requiring utilities to heat map and track outages at the local level, giving communities clear data on the impact of investments
- School Efficiency and Solar Program: Supports schools by offering low-interest loans for solar energy and efficiency upgrades
- Promote Fairness: Transitions Ohio away from Electric Security Plans (ESPs), which utilities use to charge customers excessive riders and fees, and strengthens the transparency of the traditional rate case process
While this legislation is a significant step forward, our work to make Ohio’s energy system more affordable, reliable, and sustainable isn’t yet complete. We will continue to champion legislation to enable demand response for all customers, a community energy pilot program, and stronger siting timelines to ensure fair public input.
The following quote can be attributed, in whole or in part, to Nolan Rutschilling, Managing Director of Energy Policy for the Ohio Environmental Council (OEC) Action Fund:
“The OEC Action Fund, our members, and our partners have been fighting for years to eliminate the OVEC Coal Bailout created by the House Bill 6 corruption scandal, and to create more equitable, transparent regulation of electric utilities. Today, we earned a significant victory for clean air, utility accountability, and Ohioans concerned with rising electric bills. This legislation is imperfect, but it is an energy policy win for everyday Ohioans, not Fortune 500 utility companies and their CEOs.
“This legislation will better allow the OEC Action Fund and our partners to continue our fight for a cleaner, more reliable, and affordable energy system, and it is the result of tireless work from Ohio’s environmental and energy justice advocates. We have much more work to do, but today, Ohio took a step towards a more equitable energy policy, and we applaud the Ohio legislature for this progress. We encourage Governor DeWine to sign this bill immediately.”
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The OEC Action Fund seeks to protect the environment and health of all Ohio communities by electing climate champions, holding public officials accountable, and advancing environmental justice policies.
