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Struthers officials discuss bills that would affect utilities
By Jeanne Starmack
STRUTHERS
City council was ready to help fight against a bill that would eliminate a requirement for utilities to notify the public of any proposed rate increases.
But the sponsor of House Bill 95, a Republican from the Cincinnati area, says there is now a substitute house bill that reinstates the requirement.
“There is public notice and there will be hearings required,” said State Rep. Peter Stautberg of Anderson Township, R-34th.
The bill has been assigned to the Public Utilities Committee, where it is pending.
Stautberg said some of the criticism, which Struthers council member Robert Carcelli picked up on from an Ohio Consumers’ Counsel newsletter, was warranted.
The first version of the bill did do away with the requirement of public notices and hearings, but that was inadvertent, Stautberg said.
He said the consumers’ council knows about the substitute bill.
At its last regular meeting March 23, Struthers council unanimously passed a resolution that opposed HB 95.
“If a gas company wants to increase rates for maintenance or distribution, they go to the [Public Utilities Commission of Ohio],” Carcelli said. “Under this bill, they wouldn’t have to.”
Stautberg said the original intent of the bill was to modernize the regulations for the natural gas industry.
“There are cumbersome regulations,” he said.
He said a company pays from $250,000 to $500,000 to advertise a rate case. “For the number of lines, and all the language and expense for attorney fees,” he said.
Stautberg said the substitute bill calls for one newspaper advertisement with a reference to more information on the Internet.
“We’re trying to streamline the process, modernize it and reduce expenses,” he said.
He said the bill also is meant to encourage utilities to make capital investments in Ohio.