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Ohio Supreme Court upholds utility commission decision allowing coal plant bailout fee

The Ohio Supreme Court upheld a decision last week that, according to its challengers, allowed utilities to overcharge customers to the tune of roughly $115 million. It brings an end to a narrow dispute that started in 2021 but has its roots in the Ohio House Bill 6 scandal. Two groups challenged a fee, established by H.B. 6 and tacked onto Ohioans’ utility bills, to bailout two coal plants. That rider allowed the plants’ owners — AEP Ohio, Duke Energy, and Dayton Power and Light — to earn a profit despite operating at a loss. After the bribery scheme that advanced H.B. 6 ...