Ohio Consumers' Counsel

The Ohio Supreme Court has rejected the claim that customers overpaid to AEP Ohio so the energy company could continue to operate two coal power plants.

The Ohio Consumers' Counsel is asking federal regulators to reject or delay a request by utilities to build five high-voltage transmission lines in Ohio.

AEP says the proposed decrease would drop bills by a little more than $1 a month for average customers. AEP is using money it already owes customers from two years ago when consumers overpaid deferred income taxes by $82 million.

The state’s consumer advocacy group on utilities and Ohio’s manufacturers are asking the Public Utilities Commission to audit the subsidies paid to two coal-fired power plants in the last two years.

Ohio Consumers' Counsel attorney Bill Michael's line of questioning on Tuesday suggested companies like Amazon, Meta and Microsoft can afford to pay their fair share, when it comes to purchasing electricity.

The increase could mean AES Ohio electric customers have to foot a bill $40 higher a year.

Earlier this month, AEP Ohio announced plans for another rate increase that the company said will pay for reliability-focused improvements to the electric grid. Under the plan, rates will go up about $1.50 a month or an average annual increase of less than 1 percent.

But consumer advocates representing manufacturers and residential electric customers, and staff at a state regulatory agency are pushing back.

Consumer advocates asked for changes to a program meant to keep homes warm even when people can’t pay. But the Ohio Public Utilities Commission denied those requests in their meeting Wednesday.

Two of Ohio's Republican House of Representatives are sponsoring the effort to reform how the state appoints regulators to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.