Rep. Jim Hoops
Rep. Jim Hoops
Ohio State Rep. Jim Hoops, a Napoleon Republican, has introduced legislation (House Bill 798) this week that would postpone the start of a $1 billion-plus nuclear power plant bailout at the heart of the controversial House Bill 6.

Hoops, chairman of the House Select Committee on Energy Policy and Oversight, proposes delaying the subsidies for two nuclear power plants that will be collected from all Ohio electric ratepayers starting in January.

Hoops doesn't support a full repeal of House Bill 6.

"There were some good things I feel that were in the bill," Hoops said. "I think we want to keep the nuclear plants here in Ohio.”

Ohio Citizen Action responded to the filing of House Bill 798.

“Delaying the collection of nuclear and solar subsidies for a year does little more than kick the can down the road for Ohio consumers," Rachael Belz, executive director of Ohio Citizen Action, said.

"If the Legislature can acknowledge that House Bill 6 is so flawed that implementation should be on hold for a year, they should finally demonstrate the leadership we are all waiting for and repeal House Bill 6 outright before the end of session.”

As previously reported, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has filed a lawsuit to stop collection of $150 million from Ohioans as a result of House Bill 6, which is at the center of an ongoing FBI investigation.

Yost filed to block the annual collection of $150 million from Ohioans that, as part of House Bill 6, will go to Energy Harbor, the successor to FirstEnergy’s nuclear plants.

“The people of Ohio are about to be shaken down for money they should not have to pay based on how HB6 was enacted,” Yost said. “There is no process in place to return the money to residents once it leaves their accounts – so why take it?

"HB6, which was crafted and approved under corrupt and cloaked actions, calls for the collection of the funds beginning Jan. 1, which will then be paid to Energy Harbor."

“With every passing minute, this mess gets worse,” Yost said. “We need to stop this process altogether.”

House Bill 6 was cosponsored by Republican Reps. Jamie Callender of Lake County and Shane Wilkin of Hillsboro, who represents the 91st House District.