Ohio to receive $14.2 million in grid resilience funding from U.S. Department of Energy

Governor Mike DeWine has announced that the state of Ohio will receive a $14.2 million Grid Resilience Formula Grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to modernize the electric grid and reduce the impacts of extreme weather and natural disasters for Ohioans. These grants aim to ensure the reliability of power sector infrastructure so that all communities have access to affordable, reliable, and safe electricity.

The PUCO will distribute funds to projects throughout Ohio. Projects with priority will generate the most benefit for communities by providing affordable, reliable, and clean electricity.

“I am excited to announce that Ohio will receive funding to improve reliability of the electric grid,” stated PUCO Chair Jenifer French. “Successful projects will reduce the frequency and duration of outages in disadvantaged communities and improve the reliability of vital utility service.”

Read more about the grants on Governor DeWine's page.

PUCO approves over $4 million in rail crossing upgrades

This month the PUCO approved over $4 million in railroad crossing safety upgrades.

The first set of funds, totaling over $1 million, will be used to upgrade crossings in Champaign, Huron and Trumbull counties.

Click here for more details and locations of those crossings.

The second set of funds, totaling over $3 million, will be used to upgrade crossings in Allen, Muskingum and Sandusky counties.

Click here for more details and locations of those crossings.

The PUCO is responsible for evaluating Ohio’s public grade crossings to determine the need for installing active warning devices. Since the PUCO began implementing these evaluations, the annual number of train-motor vehicle crashes in Ohio has decreased significantly, from 356 in 1990 to 61 in 2022.

OPSB updates administrative rules, adopts new rules for solar energy facilities

The Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB) today adopted new rules in Ohio Administrative Code Chapters 4906-1 through 4906-7. The rules are subject to the OPSB rehearing process before being submitted to the Ohio Legislature’s Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review for final review before taking effect.

The OPSB initiated a comprehensive rule review in 2020. The rule review began with a series of stakeholder meetings where the OPSB gathered feedback from a wide range of interests. In 2021, the OPSB held three public workshops to collect additional input. Following the workshops, the OPSB and its staff evaluated the input received, and the OPSB published recommended changes subject to formal comment. Written comments and reply comments were filed by more than 20 formal parties, and an additional 400 informal public comments were submitted.

The updated rules touch on all areas of OPSB jurisdiction and process but are of special interest to Ohioans and industry stakeholders affected by the development of solar energy projects.

Learn more about the updated rules here.

Each year, the PUCO issues an annual report of its account each fiscal year in accordance with ORC 149.01.

The annual report for fiscal year 2023 is now available.

Click here to view the PUCO FY23 annual report.

Public hearings on proposed Aqua Ohio and Aqua Ohio Wastewater rate increases to be held in August

Three public hearing dates have been scheduled to provide customers the chance to express their views on the applications of Aqua Ohio and Aqua Ohio Wastewater to increase their rates and charges for waterworks and sewage disposal services. The local public hearings are scheduled as follows:  

• August 28, 2023, Columbus
• August 29, 2023, Marion 
• August 31, 2023, Ashtabula

For more information on the hearings, the applications and how to testify, click here.

Statement by PUCO Commissioner Lawrence K. Friedeman

Commissioner Friedeman made remarks regarding competitive suppliers at the Commission's July 12, 2023 public meeting.

Click here to read the full comments and watch the video.