OHIO STEEL PRODUCERS GREET ELECTRIC UTILITY COMPETITION INITIATIVE

COLUMBUS, Ohio (March 21, 1996) –  A group comprised primarily of Ohio steel producers -- the single largest user of electricity in the state -- today characterized a new bill to encourage competition among electric utilities as "a critical step in preserving Ohio's competitiveness."

The bill, H.B. 653, introduced today by state Rep. Ron Amstutz, R-Wooster, is designed to provide customer choice.

The Ohio Steel Commission, a 16-member group of steel, labor, education and government officials, has been a top advocate of competition among utility companies since it was formed in 1991.

"Ohio is on the threshold of becoming a leader in competitive sourcing of energy," said Jay Parr, chairman of the Commission's energy/environment committee and general manager at Armco Inc.'s operations in Coshocton, Ohio. "Ohio needs competition among electric utilities to preserve its own competitiveness and that of the companies that operate here.

"We need to be able to choose electricity suppliers based on quality, price and service, just as our customers shop for steel."

The Commission's nine member companies, who account for more than 90 percent of Ohio's steel production, purchased more than $220 million in electricity last year.

The Ohio Steel Commission is a public-private partnership to strengthen ties among the steel industry, the state of Ohio and its citizens. The Commission's member organizations are AK Steel Corp., Armco Inc., CSC Ltd., LTV Steel Co., Republic Engineered Steels, Inc., The Timken Co., USS/KOBE Steel Co., WCI Steel, Inc., Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corp., the United Steelworkers of America, the Ohio Legislature, the Ohio Department of Development, The Ohio State University and Youngstown State University.