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AEP Ohio tells committee SB 123 would be 'anti‑consumer' and risk stripping PUCO protections under submetering
Summary
AEP Ohio warned senators that Senate Bill 123 could deregulate residential electric service under a submetering model, remove PUCO protections and low‑income program access for affected customers, and create stranded investment risks for utilities and home‑rule conflicts for cities.
At the third hearing on Senate Bill 123, Steve Nurse of AEP Ohio testified that the bill would be anti‑consumer and anti‑utility, arguing it could treat residential electric service the same way the state treats internet service and thereby undermine consumer protections administered by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO).
Nurse said submetering models shift customers away from PUCO‑regulated utility service, stripping them of certain protections, access to low‑income assistance programs administered by utilities, and regulated disconnection procedures. He warned that lost customers could lead to stranded utility investments and upward pressure on rates for remaining customers. Nurse also said the bill could create home‑rule conflicts for municipalities that regulate public utility service locally.
Committee members asked questions; no final committee vote on SB 123 was recorded in the transcript excerpt. Written testimony from several organizations was noted as on file.
Ending: The committee concluded the third hearing and adjourned for the day.
