Amend competitive retail electric service law
Legislative Analysis Report Amend competitive retail electric service law
1. Primary Purpose of the Bill
This bill aims to reform Ohio's utility laws by changing how electric and natural gas companies are regulated, billed, and taxed. It repeals remaining parts of House Bill 6 from 2019, including the Solar Generation Fund and future subsidies for older power plants. It also sets up a new 'Consumer Choice Billing Program' to let customers get a single bill from their chosen energy supplier, adds new protections to warn consumers before low introductory rates spike, and changes how electric utility property is taxed.
UtilitiesConsumer ProtectionTaxation
2. Changes to Existing Law
ORC Sec. 4906.04 Clarifies that replacing an existing utility facility with a similar one counts as construction and requires a certificate from the Power Siting Board.
ORC Sec. 4928.141 & 4928.142 Eliminates 'Electric Security Plans' for electric companies, requiring them to set standard service offer rates through a competitive bidding process (Market-Rate Offers).
ORC Sec. 4928.102 & 4929.221 Requires electric and natural gas suppliers to send two mail notices to residential and small business customers before a fixed rate switches to a variable rate.
ORC Sec. 4933.51 to 4933.59 Creates the Consumer Choice Billing Program, allowing certified energy suppliers to offer customers a single consolidated bill for all utility charges.
ORC Sec. 5727.06 & 5727.111 Excludes qualifying power production equipment from certain public utility property tax assessments and adjusts tax rates on transmission and distribution property.
ORC Sec. 3706.40 et seq. (Repealed) Repeals the Solar Generation Fund and stops the collection of customer charges used to fund solar projects.
3. Key Information for Citizens
🗳️ What You Need to Know
- Electric companies must now use competitive bidding to set their default rates instead of using complex Electric Security Plans.
- Energy suppliers must warn you by mail twice (between 90-60 days and 45-30 days) before your cheap introductory rate turns into a variable rate.
- A new billing program will allow you to receive one combined bill from your chosen electric or natural gas supplier instead of separate bills.
- Subsidies for solar energy projects and older coal plants (legacy generation resources) created under H.B. 6 are eliminated once current plans expire.
4. Entities Affected
- Electric distribution utilities
- Natural gas companies
- Competitive retail electric and natural gas suppliers
- Residential and small commercial utility customers
- Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO)
5. Regulatory Impact & Enforcement
Agency Authority: The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) is given new authority to run the Consumer Choice Billing Program, set rules for financial security requirements, and oversee the transition to competitive bidding for electric rates.
Penalties & Mandates: Energy suppliers are mandated to provide financial assurances to protect customers from default and must send timely rate-change notices. PUCO can fine suppliers for deceptive marketing, or suspend/revoke their certification and participation in the billing program for violations.
Implementation Timeline: Property tax changes apply to tax years starting on or after the bill's effective date. The collection of solar charges and payments to solar projects must stop immediately on the effective date. PUCO must adopt billing rules within 150 days of the effective date.
6. Estimated Fiscal Impact
State Revenue Impact
Not applicable
Local Government Impact
Not applicable
Implementation Costs
Not applicable
Net Annual Fiscal Effect
Not applicable
Policy doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Meet the representatives and senators who introduced this bill and are pushing it through the chamber. Click on any sponsor to see their district, party affiliation, and what other legislation they’ve championed this session.
Primary Sponsors
Roy Klopfenstein
District
82
Chamber
House of Representatives
Party
Republican
Co-Sponsors
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Most legislative decisions are made in committee rooms, not on the chamber floor. Here, you can track which committees have been assigned to review, amend, or report on this bill. Stay informed on where the bill is currently being debated and which chairpersons hold the power to move it forward.
Status Changes
Legislation moves through a rigorous series of checkpoints. Use this tracker to see exactly which phase the bill is in—whether it’s currently under committee review, up for a floor vote, or awaiting a signature to become law. For more information about bills, please see How a Bill Becomes Law.
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Governor |
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Referred to committee
Jan 28 2025
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Reported - Substitute
Mar 26 2025
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Concurred in Senate amendments
Apr 30 2025
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Referred to committee
Apr 02 2025
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Reported - Substitute
Apr 29 2025
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Sent To The Governor
May 07 2025
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Signed By The Governor
May 15 2025
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Documents
Access the primary source. This section hosts the full, unedited text of the legislation alongside every official document produced during its journey. From the initial draft to the final enrolled version, you can review the exact language being proposed for state law.
