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Ohio Consumers' Council warns of FirstEnergy's $190M rate request; Lucas County commissioners urge public comment
Summary
At a Lucas County Commissioners meeting, the Office of the Ohio Consumers' Council outlined FirstEnergy's pending $190 million distribution-rate request and encouraged public testimony; county commissioners pledged to publicize hearings and press residents to file comments citing corruption concerns tied to House Bill 6.
The Office of the Ohio Consumers Council told Lucas County Commissioners that FirstEnergy has filed a request with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to increase electric distribution rates by roughly $190,000,000, and urged residents to participate in upcoming public hearings and file comments in the case (PUCO case number 24-0468).
Angela O'Brien, deputy consumers counsel for the Office of the Ohio Consumers Council, told the board that OCC represents residential utility consumers before the PUCO and that the proposed change affects distribution charges — the cost to deliver electricity over wires — not the commodity supply price. OCC estimated the Toledo Edison average residential customer could see a base-bill increase of about $1.56 per month if the filing is approved.
O'Brien said the PUCO process includes a staff audit, prefiled testimony, and local public hearings. OCC has asked the PUCO for a local virtual public hearing to let more residents testify remotely; O'Brien said the virtual option was used successfully during the pandemic. She provided the case number (24-0468) and urged residents to submit written comments through the PUCO portal or attend local hearings when the schedule is set.
Several commissioners responded strongly. Commissioner Pete Gerken framed the proposal as the start of a larger fight over security riders and other charges that can raise bills beyond the base rate. Gerken cited FirstEnergy's prior legal settlements and alleged corruption tied to House Bill 6, saying, "This is FirstEnergy that has enough money in their banks to pay $230,000,000 in a deferred prosecution agreement ... They don't need any more money from us." Commissioner Lisa Sabecki said ratepayers should not be asked to absorb costs tied to alleged payoffs and urged residents to contact state lawmakers as well as the PUCO.
Mark Fry of Palmer Energy (NOAC) and Northwest Ohio Aggregation Coalition representatives described the complexity of Ohio's electric-security-plan (ESP) riders and said those riders, if renewed, could continue driving customer costs for years. Ben Pushka, Lucas County director of sustainability, said the county will work with OCC and local partners to publicize hearings and maximize public turnout.
OCC recommended residents: attend local public hearings when scheduled, request a virtual hearing if needed, file written comments referencing case 24-0468, and consult OCC's fact sheets at occ.ohio.gov for guidance on utility assistance and supplier choice.
Ending: Commissioners said they will use county communications to urge attendance at hearings and to push for strong public participation; OCC said it will post hearing dates and materials on its website when available.
