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Toledo Council urges PUCO to deny Toledo Edison rate increase, cites consumer impact and FirstEnergy controversies
Summary
Council unanimously passed a resolution asking the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to deny a proposed Toledo Edison distribution rate increase tied to FirstEnergy; councilmembers warned of higher bills for residents and small businesses and referenced past corporate misconduct.
Toledo City Council on April 8 adopted a resolution asking the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) to deny Toledo Edison’s proposed electric distribution rate increase and declared the measure an emergency for immediate submittal to PUCO and the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel.
The resolution, entered as Resolution 131-25, opposes a filing that council members said would raise distribution charges on Toledo customers without corresponding service improvements. Council members who spoke at the meeting called for transparency and for PUCO to scrutinize the utility’s revenue requests.
Councilman Komives outlined the scale of the request and its local impact. “FirstEnergy is asking the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to approve a $190,000,000 annual rate increase that would force over 300,000 customers in the Toledo Edison service area to pay more for the same exact service they already receive,” Komives said. He added the proposal would add about $1.56 per month to the average Toledo Edison customer’s bill, and urged residents to attend a regional public hearing.
Councilman Sarantu said elevated rates are a burden on households and small businesses and stressed the region-wide impact of repeated increases. He referenced FirstEnergy’s previous role in the House Bill 6 controversy and cited consumer distrust as a reason for regulatory scrutiny.
The council’s resolution cites a PUCO-commissioned independent audit that the resolution asserts found FirstEnergy’s revenue requirements overstated and refers generally to FirstEnergy’s profitability and prior federal investigations linked to House Bill 6. The resolution directs the clerk to send the council’s opposition to PUCO and the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel and encourages residents to participate in the public hearing.
Votes and formal action: The clerk announced suspension and passage; roll-call votes recorded (Jones; Komives; Martinez; McPherson; Melden; Morris; Sarantu; Williams; Driscoll; Gattis; Hartman; Hobbs) and the clerk announced “Resolution adopted.”
The council publicized a PUCO hearing scheduled for April 14 and urged residents concerned about rates and customer fees to attend and comment.
