Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA) President Ryan Augsburger is urging lawmakers not to repeat the mistakes that led to House Bill 6 as American Electric Power pushes legislation that would allow regulated utilities to own and finance new nuclear generation.

“This is a fundamental rewrite of Ohio’s competitive framework,” Augsburger said. “Utilities earn a guaranteed return on what they build. If they reenter generation, customers carry the long-term financial risk.”

The proposal would move Ohio back toward utility-controlled generation, shifting billions in potential project risk from investors to ratepayers at a time when manufacturers and households are already absorbing steep capacity price increases and volatility driven by speculative load forecasts that customers are paying for before the demand shows up.

OMA supports reliable, diverse energy resources, including nuclear power. But reliability cannot become another House Bill 6-style blank check.

“We have seen what happens when projections drive policy and utilities are guaranteed returns,” Augsburger said. “Customers pay first. They pay again. And they keep paying. Ohio cannot afford to socialize risk and privatize returns.” 3/2/2026