The cities of Cincinnati and Columbus are suing FirstEnergy Corp. and others in a last-ditch effort to keep fees associated with controversial House Bill 6 off ratepayer bills starting in January.
In a suit filed in the court of common pleas in Franklin County, Ohio, on Tuesday, the two cities are attempting to do what the state legislature couldn’t: repeal a voter-passed law associated with former House Speaker Larry Householder, who was indicted in July on racketeering charges.
The utility already faces a suit filed by Ohio Attorney General David Yost — but even if his suit is upheld, it would only keep FirstEnergy from receiving the fees passed with House Bill 6 (HB6). Ratepayers would still be required to pay the increase, which would be around $0.85 for an individual payer and up to $2,400 for large companies. FirstEnergy fired its CEO and two other executives, according to a Thursday announcement.
The fees would help bail out two nuclear plants owned by former FirstEnergy subsidiaries.
“Taking action to block those fees from appearing on ratepayers’ utility bills is the only way to ‘address the harm that Ohio utility ratepayers still face as they pay into a corporate bailout fund that was secured through fraud, deceit and intimidation,’” the cities wrote in the complaint, quoting Yost’s suit.
Despite the corruption alleged in Householder’s criminal indictment, Ohio legislators failed to pass a bill repealing HB6 in time to spare ratepayers, who are slated to start paying the increase Jan. 1, 2021.
FirstEnergy declined to comment on the suit. Householder is running for reelection.
