With revelations that dark money groups funneled money to Republican Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder in order to orchestrate passage of the state's nuclear plant bailout bill last year, calls for a repeal have grown. But there are legislators who are standing by the law that made sweeping changes to Ohio's energy policy. One vocal supporter says the bailout is still what's best for Ohioans. Ohio Public Radio's Andy Chow reports.
House Bill 6 created nuclear and coal subsidies paid for by new charges to monthly bills for all electric users in Ohio. But Republican Representative Bill Seitz points to a study that shows the law’s cuts to clean energy mandates result in an overall decrease in electric bills.
"Now calculates the ratepayer savings over the life of the bill at $2.3 billion, cut in rates, lower electric costs. Why anyone would be against that, I have no clue."
Opponents argue that investing in renewables and energy efficiency result in lower electric bills in the long run.
Seitz has been leading the charge to get rid of the clean energy mandates for ten years. He says he has nothing to do with the racketeering investigation involving Speaker Larry Householder, and didn’t vote for him for speaker.