Energy Roundup: Electricity Use to Set New Record

• House Bill 6 has played a major role in Ohio falling 11 spots — to No. 44 — in the 2022 Energy Efficiency Scorecard issued by American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.
• The Supreme Court of Ohio has mostly upheld the PUCO’s order directing utility companies to collect fees for an HB 6-related $20 million fund incentivizing solar energy, though the court ordered the PUCO to clarify if customers should be stuck with a commercial tax.
• Multiple acts of sabotage on utility companies are raising concerns that utilities are not doing enough to stave off physical threats to the electrical grid, reports say.
• U.S. power usage is set to hit a new high this year, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) says, breaking the record set in 2018.
• The U.S. Energy Information Administration offers an hourly electric grid monitor, which provides up-to-the-hour information on demand across the U.S. Users can create, save, and share custom dashboards.
• Crude oil futures fell to their lowest level of the year this week amid growing concern about the global economy. Natural gas futures have shed 25% since Thanksgiving.
• On Capitol Hill, Democratic leaders have failed to pass U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-W.Va.) energy permitting overhaul.
• OMA Connections Partner NRG has published these eight questions to consider when reviewing your company’s energy strategy.

Meanwhile, among the bills still pending in the final days of the General Assembly’s current session is House Bill 317, the OMA-opposed legislation that has been called a “rerun of House Bill 6.” 12/8/2022