The Buckeye Institute presented testimony to the Ohio House Energy Committee on Wednesday, expressing support for policies in Senate Bill 103 that aim to reform the approval process for natural gas projects in Ohio. The organization argued that these changes would help maintain Ohio’s competitiveness and encourage economic development.
Greg R. Lawson, a research fellow at The Buckeye Institute, addressed the committee and highlighted concerns about delays in approving natural gas projects. He stated that such delays hinder “economic and technological growth” and emphasized that the new bill would “help keep Ohio competitive and spur economic development by attracting new technology and industrial investment.”
Lawson explained that Senate Bill 103 seeks to update Ohio’s regulatory procedures for natural gas project approvals through the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO). He noted that this framework is similar to one established earlier in House Bill 15 but is specifically adapted for the gas industry. According to Lawson, allowing large-load consumers to form agreements with utilities could further position Ohio as a leader in energy-intensive sectors like data centers.
“As artificial intelligence (AI) and data processing advance, construction for energy-intensive data centers has surged across the country. Ohio has been a national leader in such projects so far but ensuring that the state’s energy infrastructure can continue meeting sector demands for reliable, affordable power remains an economic and national security imperative as the global race for AI dominance intensifies,” Lawson said.
He also addressed concerns about consumer protections, stating: “Regular energy users should not have to pay costs for massive new energy-intensive projects.” Lawson added that modifications made to the sub-bill provide safeguards for those consumers.
Lawson concluded his remarks by acknowledging that while neither House Bill 15 nor Senate Bill 103 are perfect, both pieces of legislation consider industry and consumer interests in seeking a balanced approach.
“House Bill 15 and Senate Bill 103 anticipate Ohio’s dynamic energy future and take great strides to meet rising demand without sacrificing consumer protections. Although neither bill is perfect, they pay careful attention to industry and consumer concerns to strike a reasonable balance in a complex but critical field,” he said.
