New Ohio House Plan Includes Benchmarks for Renewable Energy COLUMBUS, OH (wosu) - Ohio House Republicans say electric
utility companies will have to increase the use of renewable energy sources by one-quarter of one percent by the end of next year.

They also will have to quicken the pace in succeeding years until green power reaches 12-and-a-half percent of all power
sources by 2024.

House Speaker Jon Husted says failure to do so will result in fines against the utilities.

Still to be determined is how regulation of the plan would work, how to proceed to buying power on an open market and what the bill to ratepayers would be. Husted insists that any fines paid by utilities be absorbed by their shareholders, not their customers.

Ohio Consumers' Counsel Janine Migden-Ostrander whose agency represents residential customers praised the plan as ultimately meaning lower eletric bills.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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