Will energy law affect your bill?

DeWine signs the bill, which saves two aging nuclear plants.

Gov. Mike DeWine COLUMBUS — signed House Bill 6 on Tuesday, which is expected to impact more than 4.5 million electric ratepayers, bail out two aging nuclear power plants and give a subsidy to two coal-fired plants.

The bill adds an 80-cent per month charge to residential customers to raise up to $150 million a year in subsidies to keep open nuclear plants owned by Akron-based First Energy Solutions.

It authorizes a $1.50 per month charge to residential customers for two coal-fired plants owned by the Ohio Valley Electric Corp. AEP, Dayton Power & Light and Duke Energy are among utilities that hold an ownership stake in the OVEC plants.

HB6 scales back and eventually terminates renewable energy benchmarks and mandated energy efficiency programs for utility companies.

Because those programs will phase out, ratepayers overall will eventually pay less on their monthly bills, according to supporters of HB6.

The Ohio House voted 51-38 Tuesday on the controversial bill.

Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, R-Glenford, a champion of the bill, said the measure will save rate- payers $1.3 billion over the course of the program.

“Despite claims this bill will save people money, don’t believe it,” said Trish Deme- ter of Ohio Environmental Council.

Oppon e nts of t he bill include: AARP Ohio, the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel, Ohio Manufacturers Association, the Buckeye Institute and a slew of environmen- tal groups. Demeter said all options would be considered, including a referendum campaign.

DeWine said last week, “It’s important to the state of Ohio to be able to have a significant amount of energy that is created to be carbon-free. By having nuclear plants, frankly, today is the only way we’re going to be able to achieve that.”

He added, “Our goal all along is to save the nuclear plants, save the jobs but also to keep the cost of energy down, the cost of utilities down for the ratepayers.”

The bill has been the subject of intense lobbying since its introduction four months ago, including $11.47 million spent on TV, radio and online ads. A dark money group, Generation Now, spent more than $9.5 million on ads designed to build public support for the measure. Opponents, which included OH Against Nuke Bailouts and a handful of others, spent $1.9 million on ads against it.

Hous e holder said he believes the pro-HB6 ad campaign is funded by corporations in Ohio that want to stay in Ohio.

“As far as the influence that it had, you’ve got to remember that there was not one commercial and there was not one mailer in support of House Bill 6 until Big Gas, that is funded by the Chinese, came into Ohio and started to attack House members. And when that happened, House members will be defended,” he said.