Energy

To enact sections 4933.51, 4933.53, 4933.54, 4933.55, 4933.57, and 4933.59 of the Revised Code to regulate the ownership of electric vehicle charging stations.

To amend sections 4909.05, 4909.06, 4909.07, 4909.08, 4909.15, 4909.155, 4909.156, 4909.18, 4909.191, 4909.42, 4928.18, and 4929.041 and to enact sections 4903.30, 4929.052, 4929.053, 4929.054, 4929.055, 4929.056, 4929.057, 4929.058, 4929.059, and 4929.0510 of the Revised Code to allow for alternative rate plans for natural gas companies to serve large load customers and to make changes to the process of valuating natural gas company property.

Urging Ohio electric utility stakeholders, the Governor, and the Congress of the United States to invest resources into the security, reliability, and resiliency of the state and national interconnected electric grids against natural and man-made threats.

SB 2 creates a tax exemption program for developers building on former coal mines or brownfield sites in Ohio, offering five years of property tax relief to encourage investment in these economically distressed areas. It also clarifies that small renewable energy projects (under 50 megawatts, like solar farms, wind farms, and biogas digesters) can be regulated by local zoning boards without changing their tax classification as public utilities. The bill directly affects local governments, developers, and small renewable energy operators by streamlining approvals for these projects while preserving existing tax treatment. These changes aim to support grid reliability and affordability by facilitating new power generation in targeted communities.