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HB15 passed both chambers of the Ohio legislature and was signed by Governor DeWine.   The new law becomes effective August 14, 2025. 

Among other things, the new bill does the following:

• Requires electric utility’s standard service offer (SSO) to be established only as a market-rate offer (MRO) by eliminating the electric security plan (ESP) option and making the MRO mandatory;
• Prohibits electric utilities from recovering the cost of legacy generation resources, like OVEC, from ratepayers; 
• Directs the PUCO to establish financial assurance standards for electric and gas suppliers while repealing the existing performance bond requirement for gas suppliers; 
• Defines a small commercial customer as one whose demand does not exceed 25kW during the previous 12 months and making certain consumer protection requirements applicable to such small commercial customers; 
• Requires a retail supplier that offers certain customers a contract for a fixed introductory rate that converts to a variable rate to send two notices containing certain information regarding the conversion to affected customers;
• Allows enroll-by-wallet for retail customers; 
• Allows any alternative billing and payment structures (including daily, weekly, or milestone-based payments; online only billing or payment; and prepayment) agreed to by C&I customers and retail electric suppliers; 
• Prohibits an electric utility from using any electric storage system to participate in the wholesale market if the utility purchased or acquired that system for distribution service; and 
• Repeals provisions of law that allowed for certain solar energy resources to apply to the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority (OAQDA) to receive payments for solar energy credits.