We have the opportunity to lower energy costs for consumers and repeal Ohio’s coal plant bailout, but we need you to act fast. Ohio legislators are considering the final version of House Bill 15 and Senate Bill 2, two critical bills that would help fix Ohio’s energy system by ending costly coal bailouts and improving grid reliability. We need your support today to tell your lawmakers that Ohioans need lower electric bills and repeals of big corporate bailouts! 

The final version of this bill will not be perfect, but it can offer practical solutions to some of our state’s most significant energy challenges:

• Ending the OVEC Bailout: Ohioans have already paid nearly $600 million in subsidies to keep outdated, inefficient power plants afloat. These bills can immediately repeal these wasteful charges if legislators don’t cave to energy company interests.
• Establish Demand Response Programs: The final version of the legislation should include demand response programs, which help customers reduce energy waste, lower electric bills, and prevent blackouts. 
• Improve Grid Reliability: Requiring utilities to report on “heat maps” and stronger reliability metrics will help better identify exactly where frequent outages occur, and how long. This data will be crucial for ensuring that we know exactly where utilities are investing and the results of that investment. The language in HB 15 addressing these measures should be in the final legislation.

Ohioans are already seeing rising electric bills due to high demand and delays in adding clean energy to the grid. HB 15 and SB 2 offer real solutions to repeal the coal plant bailouts, add demand response programs, and make Ohio’s energy system fair and affordable.

We urge the legislature to ensure the final version of HB 15/SB 2 includes the immediate repeal of the OVEC Coal Plant bailouts and restores our Demand Response Programs.