COLUMBUS — "Ohio lawmakers pitched the legislation as a cost-saver for ratepayers, saying they offset the new fee with cuts to incentives for renewable energy, such as wind and solar, and the elimination of fees used to push companies becoming more energy efficient in making and delivering energy by 2020.

Lawmakers in the Ohio House of Representatives sent the bill to DeWine Tuesday afternoon with a narrow, 51-38 vote. The governor signed it shortly after.

'Our goal all along has been to save the nuclear plants, save the jobs but also to keep the cost of energy down for the ratepayer,' DeWine told reporters Thursday. 'I think House Bill 6 does that.'

The bill passed less than a week after House Speaker Larry Householder said he didn't have enough support present to pass the legislation. On Monday, House leadership even asked to borrow a state-owned plane to fly lawmakers back from a Chicago conference for the vote. That plan was later ditched, according to a Dayton Daily News report."

— Jessie Balmert, Cincinnati Enquirer

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