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With New Federal Pollution Rule, Ohio Residents Should See Lower Electricity Bills

June 16, 2015

With New Federal Pollution Rule, Ohio Residents Should See Lower Electricity Bills

EPA’s Clean Power Plan and Energy Efficiency Improvements Will Mean Savings for Ohio Consumers

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ohio electricity consumers will see much-needed savings as a result of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Power Plan, according to a new report from Public Citizen.

The report, “Clean Power, Clear Savings,” shows that Ohio’s electricity consumption will fall 11.2 percent by 2030, according to the EPA’s notably conservative data. Ohio’s electricity rates may rise slightly under the Clean Power Plan before dropping. The net effect is that electricity bills will increase slightly in 2020 before declining much more steeply in 2025 and 2030, saving the average Ohio household about $144 annually, Public Citizen found.

The EPA’s Clean Power Plan, scheduled to be finalized in August, is designed to curb pollution from power plants by 30 percent from 2005 levels by 2030. It sets targets for the reduction of carbon emissions in each state.

As part of the EPA’s plan, states can decide how to meet their targets. They can comply individually or in regional groups, and they can use a mix of strategies – ranging from improving the efficiency of existing coal-fired power plants to using energy efficiency to reduce electricity consumption. Ohio’s compliance plan should include meaningful improvements in energy efficiency, which will lower consumers’ electricity bills.

“Ohio has already shown that it can improve energy efficiency at a greater rate than the EPA projects,” said David Arkush, author of the report and managing director of Public Citizen’s Climate Program. “The Clean Power Plan represents a great opportunity not just to curb climate change, but to lower Ohio’s electricity bills.”

“Making energy efficiency a significant component of compliance with the Clean Power Plan is the least costly option, which is critical for the low-income customers we serve,” said Dave Rinebolt, executive director of Ohio Partners for Affordable Energy, which serves 400,000 customers across the state and supports the Clean Power Plan.

Read the report.

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