Republican bill allows utility companies to limit customers’ energy usage
By T.A. DeFeo
Proposed legislation would allow utility companies to temporarily limit the amount of customers’ energy usage during peak demand times.
Rep. Roy Klopfenstein, R-Haviland, introduced House Bill 427 late last month. The measure, which has not yet been assigned to a committee, creates a “voluntary demand response program.”
Under the program, customers could opt to allow utilities to “temporarily adjust energy usage” during periods of high demand. Actions could include “raising thermostat settings or cycling water heaters.”
As proposed, customers could override any changes, and utilities could compensate customers either annually or per event. The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio would review the programs to ensure they are cost-effective for customers.
“This legislation is a crucial step in our state’s comprehensive plan to ensure all Ohioans have access to reliable, affordable, and readily available energy,” Klopfenstein said in a release.
“Demand response programs have proven to be a vital tool for our large commercial users, and it’s important that similar programs are made available to residential and small commercial users,” Klopfenstein added. “These programs will ease the strain on our energy grid and save money for all Ohioans.”
…
A Chilly Reception
The proposal met an unenthusiastic reception online.
“They already have this in CA,” one commenter posted. “Monopolistic utilities with cyclical corruption colluding with government essentially makes them government entities… It’s ‘opt in’ for now. My smart thermostat has a lot of nice features, but I mostly leave the Wi-Fi off.”
“Well to be fair, it is a voluntary program,” another posted. “And you’d have to have a smart thermostat so [I] don’t think this is happening in a big way anytime soon.”
