PUCO Chairman Haque statement on FES bankruptcy
COLUMBUS,
OHIO (April 1, 2018) – The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) Chairman
Asim Z. Haque offered the following regarding FirstEnergy Solutions, Inc.
filing for bankruptcy.
“The
decision by First Energy Solutions, Inc. (FES) to reorganize in bankruptcy has
been widely expected by the energy industry and Wall Street. FES is licensed by
the PUCO to sell electricity to residential and industrial customers in Ohio.
The commission is charged with ensuring reliable power delivery and we will
continue to do so for all Ohioans. There is no reason for customers of FES – or
anyone else in Ohio – to be concerned about whether or not they will have
electricity. They will.”
Under
Ohio law, the PUCO does not regulate power plants, including FES’s power
plants, but it does regulate power lines. The PUCO believes that the
financial health of our power line companies, the distribution utilities, is
important to ensure continued grid reliability and modernization. To that end, in 2016, it agreed to allow
FES’s parent company, FirstEnergy Corp. to charge its customers an additional
$540 million over three years. This additional fee, known as a Distribution
Modernization Rider, has the option of being extended for two years.
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The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) is the sole agency charged with regulating public utility service. The role of the PUCO is to assure all residential, business and industrial consumers have access to adequate, safe and reliable utility services at fair prices while facilitating an environment that provides competitive choices. Consumers with utility-related questions or concerns can call the PUCO Call Center at (800) 686-PUCO (7826) and speak with a representative.
For additional information, contact: Matt Schilling | (614) 466-7750
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