Republicans Sell Out Ohioans To Utility Companies

COLUMBUS (AP) — Subtle changes buried in an energy bill plotting the future of Ohioans' electricity rates guarantee that today's prices will never fall and make it nearly impossible for producers of green power to gain a foothold in the state, a newspaper reported Monday.
The amendments were added by the Ohio Senate to Gov. Ted Strickland's proposed energy bill, which the Ohio House has scheduled to debate at the leisurely pace of one hearing per week into the new year.
Strickland, a Democrat, is still pushing for aspects of his proposal in the House. He had asked the Republican-led Legislature to pass the bill by Dec. 31, which now appears unlikely.
Before passing the bill, the Senate added dozens of amendments to the administration's version of the bill, most technical sounding but some with significant consequences, The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer reported Monday.
Among their actions, the Senate set February 2008 rates as the starting point for future increases, as opposed to Strickland's proposal that rates be determined by actual costs of generation, plus power plant costs and a rate of return.
They also weakened a provision that would require utilities to generate 25 percent of their power with renewable sources, such as wind, solar or biofuels, by 2025, and said it would not be required if it resulted in rate increases of more than 3 percent.
The city of Cleveland, environmental groups and the Ohio Consumers' Counsel argue that the changes to the bill's renewable energy section mean no wind turbines would be built here, no wind turbine manufacturers would come to Ohio, and no jobs would be created.
Strickland's administration has argued that turning to alternative fuels is essential to ensuring that Ohioans have a steady power supply and attracting new jobs to the state.