As House Bill 6’s $60 million scandal plays out in court with fresh indictments Monday, most consumers in the state are still stuck paying the bill.
And with the indictments of three key figures from the scandal − former FirstEnergy CEO Chuck Rogers, ex-Senior Vice President of External Affairs Michael Dowling and Sam Randazzo, former chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio − come new calls from consumers and Democrats to repeal the most controversial provision in the bill that remains: a $1.50-a-month fee most Ohio consumers pay to shore up two aging power plants.
Randazzo also is facing federal charges tied to the scandal.
“Ohioans continue to bear the cost of corruption – the HB6 coal plant subsidy − with a price tag of half a million dollars a day,” Ohio Consumers Counsel Maureen Willis said in a statement. “Unless repealed, the cost to consumers is estimated to be $700 million by 2030. That must change. The coal subsidy should end now, not in 2030. And consumers should be refunded for every penny paid.”