To Reduce Consumer Costs, Lawmakers Must Stop Protecting Utility Monopolies and Embrace Electricity Transmission Competition

WASHINGTON – The Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition urged members of the Indiana House to oppose HB 1420, a right-of-first-refusal law (ROFR). Similar ROFR laws have been shown to raise rates on consumers by as much as 40%.[1] Indiana consumers have seen their electricity bills soar by an average of 63% over the last five years.[2] HB 1420 will see those rate hikes increase for decades to come.

In a statement, Paul Cicio, Chair of the Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition, said: “The Indiana House of Representatives must stand up for consumer interests and vote against HB 1420. The bill is anti-competitive, anti-free market, anti-consumer and is inflationary.”   

In a letter to Speaker of the House Todd Huston on behalf of ETCC’s member organizations, with thousands of facilities in Indiana, Cicio pointed to the verdict of independent bodies that have come out against ROFR laws. The letter cited the judgment of the Iowa Supreme Court, which said “Common sense tells us that competitive bidding will lower the cost of upgrading [the] electric grid and that eliminating competition will enable the incumbent to command higher prices for both construction and maintenance.”

As ROFR laws are being rejected across the country, Indiana legislators should stand up for consumers and lower electricity prices. The Indiana House must reject HB 1420.

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About the Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition

The Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition (ETCC) is a broad-based, nation-wide coalition committed to increasing competition in America’s electricity transmission infrastructure. We advocate for common-sense policies and solutions that result in competitively priced transmission projects, which reduce energy costs for all ratepayers – from large manufacturers to residential consumers. The ETCC represents a diverse group of more than 80 companies and organizations from all 50 states, including manufacturing groups, retail electric consumers, state consumer advocates, public power representatives, think tanks, and non-incumbent transmission developers.

For more information, visit: www.electricitytransmissioncompetitioncoalition.org.

Press Contact:
Julian Graham
jgraham@signaldc.com

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[1] Brattle Group: Cost Savings Offered by Competition in Electric Transmission, https://www.brattle.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/16726_cost_savings_offered_by_competition_in_electric_transmission.pdf

[2] MISO Energy: Transmission Settlements and Pricing, https://www.misoenergy.org/markets-and-operations/settlements/ts-pricing/#t=10&p=0&s=&sd=