Electricity Subsidy Battle Hits the Airwaves

The OMA is an opponent to two pieces of legislation that would provide above-market customer-paid subsidies to various utilities: House Bill 239, which concerns the utilities that are members of the Ohio Valley Electric Corporation (OVEC), and House Bill 381, the Zero Emissions Credit nuclear power plant subsidy for FirstEnergy. Identical legislation is also pending in the Ohio Senate.

In recent weeks the Ohio Petroleum Institute, API-Ohio, has run radio spots that oppose the subsidies as anti-competitive. Meanwhile a counter-point radio spot is being aired by a pro-utility coalition falsely contending that imported electricity is problematic for Ohio’s economic well-being. 11/2/2017