FirstEnergy customers are set to receive a “decoupling” refund on their August electricity bills — thanks to OMA-supported legislation (House Bill 128) that partially repealed the scandal-tainted House Bill 6. Earlier this week, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) — due in part to the OMA Energy Group’s legal advocacy — approved FirstEnergy’s plan to refund customers more than $27 million in fees collected through HB 6’s decoupling mechanism, which allowed the utility to guarantee itself revenue. Refund amounts will vary based on customers’ electric use this August. (Here are the refund rates.) Prior to the PUCO’s approval, the OMA Energy Group provided an active voice in legal proceedings to advocate for a full refund of the decoupling dollars, partnering with the attorney general and Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel. HB 128, which was passed in March and took effect June 30, required the decoupling refunds. The bill also repealed HB 6’s centerpiece — more than $1 billion in subsidies for two nuclear plants operated by a former FirstEnergy subsidiary. 7/8/2021