(The Center Square) – After five years and several federal convictions, the last remaining tie to House Bill 6 in Ohio is closer to ending.
What’s left is for Gov. Mike DeWine to sign House Bill 15, which supporters say establishes a 21st century energy plan for the state using natural gas supplies and changing the tax code for some public utility property.
It also stops HB6’s $500,000 daily taxpayer-funded subsidies to two coal-fired power plants, one in Indiana, that has been going on for five years.
The bill easily passed both the Senate and the House with strong bipartisan support and could reach DeWine’s desk as early as Thursday. The governor said he has not seen the bill yet. He has 10 days to either sign it or veto it.
“The passage of Ohio House Bill 15 is the best news for Ohioans worried about affordable, reliable energy in more than a quarter of a century,” said Rea Hederman Jr., executive director of the Economic Research Center and vice president of policy at The Buckeye Institute. “With the passage of House Bill 15, Ohio sets a national example and boldly reclaims its leadership in free-market energy policy.”
The Buckeye Institute, along with Americans For Prosperity-Ohio – two leading free market groups in the state – helped push the reforms they say pushes forward policies that help the state meet energy needs in the future and streamlines rules for energy infrastructure, dials back government mandated clean-energy projects and promotes transparency and competition.
“This is a major victory for Ohio energy consumers,” AFP-Ohio State Director Donovan O’Neil said. “With House Bill 15, Ohio is taking a bold step toward a free-market energy future that will reduce costs, improve reliability, and enhance transparency for all consumers.”
Also, gone are the hundreds of thousands of dollars a day in taxpayer money going to Ohio Valley Electric Coop, which operates two old coal-fired power plants, one in Indiana.
Those subsidies were part of the scandal-ridden House Bill 6 that lawmakers failed to repeal since its passage in 2000 and the arrest, conviction and jailing of former House Speaker Larry Householder.
Federal prosecutors called it the largest bribery and corruption scandal in state history.
“I am pleased to finally repeal the OVEC fees from the corrupt HB6 and add much-needed transparency to utilities’ rate review process,” House Minority Leader Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington, said. “HB15 has significant positive components, but there is more work to be done to meet the demand and needs of Ohio’s energy grid. The crimes of the HB6 scandal still loom in Ohio and despite numerous proposals by Democrats, the Republican-controlled legislature has done nothing to prevent a similar political scandal from happening again. Without swift, meaningful legislative reform, Ohioans could be faced with another corruption scandal which could force Ohioans to once again foot the bill.”
This article was originally published at www.thecentersquare.com
