Ohio House Speaker William G. Batchelder (R-Medina) sent a letter to Ohio Governor John Kasich today reaffirming the importance of working together to ensure Ohio has a sound business-oriented energy policy. Speaker Batchelder said that the move is in-line with the Republican Caucus’ continued focus on jobs and fixing Ohio’s economy.

“As you know, Ohio took the important steps to foster meaningful electric competition with Senate Bill 3 during the 123rd General Assembly; more recently in the 127th General Assembly, additional energy reforms were enacted through Senate Bill 221, which has allowed electric customers to see substantial benefits from energy competition,” Speaker Batchelder said in his letter. “It is my belief that further pursuing the deregulatory reforms set forth in Senate Bills 3 and 221, particularly in the area of generation, will encourage additional competition and continue to result in savings for businesses and families.”

Speaker Batchelder indicated that any move towards re-regulation would be destructive to Ohio’s already fragile economy. “My caucus feels very strongly that a move toward re-regulation will eliminate jobs, not create them, and negatively impact Ohio's economic recovery,” he said.

House Public Utilities Committee Chairman Peter Stautberg (R-Cincinnati) will be holding a series of hearings over the next several months with the goal of providing oversight on and assessing Ohio’s regulatory climate. Speaker Batchelder said he looks forward to working with Governor Kasich and his administration “toward an energy policy that will result in an environment that businesses can thrive on through a reliable and affordable electricity supply.”