HB 6 – the nuclear and coal bailout bill – was at the heart of Ohio’s largest bribery and racketeering scandal in history. Despite widespread opposition from Ohioans, FirstEnergy and former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and his associates worked together to pass this bill in 2019, taking millions out of the pockets of Ohio consumers. It also gutted Ohio’s successful renewable energy and efficiency standards.
While the Ohio General Assembly has passed legislation to remove the nuclear subsidies from House Bill 6, there has still been no full repeal. That means the OVEC coal subsidies included in House Bill 6 – which have been estimated to be worth $700 million — remain in place, to be funded by Ohio consumers. FirstEnergy and other utility giants should not benefit from legislation passed under the shadow of corruption and lies. It is time to repeal the OVEC subsidies.