Ohio’s Electric Security Plans (ESPs) — authorized under a 2008 energy law — allow utilities to request customer charges exceeding market prices. The OMA has long urged lawmakers to end ESPs to reduce manufacturers’ electricity costs. This week, the OMA provided proponent testimony in support of ESP-repeal legislation, Senate Bill 143, sponsored by Sen. Mark Romanchuk (R-Ontario). Testifying on behalf of the OMA were Brad Belden, president of The Belden Brick Company and chair of the OMA Energy Committee, and Tim Ling, corporate environment director for Plaskolite. Belden and Ling told members of the Senate Energy & Public Utilities Committee that SB 143 would end the abusive ESP process and excessive utility profits, as this one-page summary illustrates. Watch or read the OMA’s testimony. 1/25/2024