Ohio Sues To Stop Rate Increase By FirstEnergy!

FEATURED PHOTO: FIRST ENERGY CEO CHUCK JONES

Patch.com, By Chris Mosby, Posted January 21st 2021

“It’s time for the court to shut the House Bill 6 piggybank down,” Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is trying to block FirstEnergy from collecting $102 million generated by House Bill 6.

Yost previously sued to stop Energy Harbor from collecting $150 million from Ohio taxpayers, funds generated by House Bill 6, which provided a $1.3 billion bailout for two FirstEnergy nuclear plants (now Energy Harbor plants) in Ohio. The legislation is now at the heart of a racketeering investigation involving Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and other political figures.

“First we had to stop the collection of the fee created to line the pockets of Energy Harbor and now we are trying to stop the guaranteed profits for FirstEnergy and inappropriate rate increases to Ohioans,” Yost said. “It’s time for the court to shut the HB6 piggybank down.”

Yost filed a motion in Franklin County Common Pleas Court asking to prevent FirstEnergy from implementing the rate increases levied on customers, as legislated in House Bill 6.

House Bill 6 included a decoupling mechanism which allowed FirstEnergy to match its income from 2018, regardless of how much electricity it sold in the next decade. Yost said this allows the company to match its high-water-mark profits, regardless of service levels, eliminating accountability.

“The injunction filed is necessary to protect FirstEnergy customers and to undue the harm that was corruptly put into HB6,” Yost’s office said.

A FirstEnergy spokesperson said the company is reviewing the lawsuit but has no further comment at this time.