Ohio SB 297: Regards electric submetering companies and customers

Bill Text

As Introduced
136th General Assembly
Regular Session S. B. No. 297
2025-2026
Senators Craig, Smith
To amend sections 4905.02 and 4928.53 and to enact
sections 4933.51, 4933.52, 4933.53, 4933.54,
4933.55, 4933.57, and 4933.58 of the Revised
Code to exempt electric submetering companies
from classification as a public utility, to
impose various requirements on such companies,
and to extend eligibility for the percentage of
income payment plan program to certain electric
submetering company customers.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
Section 1. That sections 4905.02 and 4928.53 be amended
and sections 4933.51, 4933.52, 4933.53, 4933.54, 4933.55,
4933.57, and 4933.58 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as
follows:
Sec. 4905.02. (A) As used in this chapter, "public
utility" includes every corporation, company, copartnership,
person, or association, the lessees, trustees, or receivers of
the foregoing, defined in section 4905.03 of the Revised Code,
including any public utility that operates its utility not for
profit, except the following:
(1) An electric light company that operates its utility
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S. B. No. 297 Page 2
As Introduced
not for profit;
(2) A public utility, other than a telephone company, that
is owned and operated exclusively by and solely for the
utility's customers, including any consumer or group of
consumers purchasing, delivering, storing, or transporting, or
seeking to purchase, deliver, store, or transport, natural gas
exclusively by and solely for the consumer's or consumers' own
intended use as the end user or end users and not for profit;
(3) A public utility that is owned or operated by any
municipal corporation;
(4) A railroad as defined in sections 4907.02 and 4907.03
of the Revised Code;
(5) Any provider, including a telephone company, with
respect to its provision of any of the following:
(a) Advanced services as defined in 47 C.F.R. 51.5;
(b) Broadband service, however defined or classified by
the federal communications commission;
(c) Information service as defined in the
"Telecommunications Act of 1996," 110 Stat. 59, 47 U.S.C.
153(20);
(d) Subject to division (A) of section 4927.03 of the
Revised Code, internet protocol-enabled services as defined in
section 4927.01 of the Revised Code;
(e) Subject to division (A) of section 4927.03 of the
Revised Code, any telecommunications service as defined in
section 4927.01 of the Revised Code to which both of the
following apply:
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S. B. No. 297 Page 3
As Introduced
(i) The service was not commercially available on
September 13, 2010, the effective date of the amendment of this
section by S.B. 162 of the 128th general assembly.
(ii) The service employs technology that became available
for commercial use only after September 13, 2010, the effective
date of the amendment of this section by S.B. 162 of the 128th
general assembly.
(6)(a) An electric submetering company.
(b) As used in this division, "electric submetering
company" means a person, business, or other entity that, either
on its own behalf or under a contract with a property owner,
provides, constructs, or installs facilities for the resale of
electricity to a tenant's dwelling unit by a landlord or the
landlord's agent that is based on metered consumption at a point
after services provided by an electric light company under
section 4905.03 of the Revised Code that is a public utility are
delivered to the company's metered points of delivery at the
customers' locations.
(B)(1) "Public utility" includes a for-hire motor carrier
even if the carrier is operated in connection with an entity
described in division (A)(1), (2), (4), or (5) of this section.
(2) Division (A) of this section shall not be construed to
relieve a private motor carrier, operated in connection with an
entity described in division (A)(1), (2), (4), or (5) of this
section, from compliance with either of the following:
(a) Chapter 4923. of the Revised Code;
(b) Rules governing unified carrier registration adopted
under section 4921.11 of the Revised Code.
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As Introduced
(C) As used in division (A)(6) of this section, "dwelling
unit," "landlord," and "tenant" have the same meanings as in
section 5321.01 of the Revised Code.
Sec. 4928.53. (A) Beginning July 1, 2000, the director of
development is hereby authorized to administer the low-income
customer assistance programs. For that purpose, the public
utilities commission shall cooperate with and provide such
assistance as the director requires for administration of the
low-income customer assistance programs. The director shall
consolidate the administration of and redesign and coordinate
the operations of those programs within the department to
provide, to the maximum extent possible, for efficient program
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