Lawmakers OK plan to cut electric bills Ratepayers will save $1.3 billion

COLUMBUS – A plan that will save Ohio’s electric ratepayers $1.3 billion has been approved by the Ohio House of Representatives.

The measure, House Bill 6, will also preserve Ohio jobs and support zero carbon electric generation to protect Ohio’s environment.

Speaker Larry Householder (R-Glenford) said the legislation is good news for the state’s consumers and economy.

“We are reducing consumers’ bills, repealing wasteful government mandates and keeping good-paying jobs here in Ohio,” Householder said. “This is legislation that makes sense for the ratepayers of Ohio.”

The legislation, the result of nearly 65 hours of testimony in the legislature, was given final approval today by the House, which concurred in changes made by the Senate. It had 51 affirmative votes and 38 negative votes and now goes to Gov. Mike DeWine for his signature.

Electric ratepayers will save more than $1.3 billion over the next nine years under the plan. The average residential ratepayer will see an immediate reduction in their bill starting in 2020. Starting in 2021, the average ratepayer will save $2.77 per month and by 2028 they will save $3.78 per month.

The legislation phases out all of Ohio’s expensive, failed electric mandates. In its place, a reduced flat charge will support zero carbon energy.

The legislation will support the generation of zero carbon electricity in Ohio, specifically from nuclear as well as large-scale solar installations.

The state’s two nuclear plants – Davis-Besse and Perry, both in northern Ohio – generate approximately 15 percent of Ohio’s electricity and 90 percent of the state’s zero carbon energy. More than 4,000 jobs are tied to the state’s nuclear industry, which means more than $500 million to Ohio’s gross domestic product.

The plan will also support the continued development of large scale solar projects in Ohio, which will increase the amount of zero carbon power generated in Ohio.