This week, Rep. Shane Wilkin (R-Hillsboro) introduced House Bill 317. At the macro level, HB 317 would eliminate electric security plans (ESPs). The ESP process was originally established to ensure electricity prices would not increase too much as utilities continued the transition to a mature de-regulated market. Since its creation, however, the ESP process has turned into a mechanism that regulated utilities use to increase costs through numerous above-market charges added to customers’ bills. The proposal would eliminate ESPs and require utilities to provide standard service offers under a competitive market-rate offer. The bill would also allow utilities to implement economic development and job-retention programs under the market-rate offer, while allowing utilities to apply to the PUCO to recover non-bypassable costs of those unlimited programs. The OMA is researching and analyzing HB 317. At next week’s OMA Energy Committee, we will take a deep dive on this and other energy bills pending in the legislature. Register now! 5/20/2021