From Toledo to Marietta, PUCO staff has been on the road across Ohio, helping to educate consumers on all things utilities, transportation and more.
Fairs, festivals, trainings, speaking engagements: they're all part of our mission to empower Ohioans to make informed decisions.
We've highlighted a few of those many events in this month's News Bureau!
Special Reconnect Order issued for 2023-2024 heating season
The PUCO has issued its Special Reconnect Order (SRO) for the upcoming heating season (Oct. 16, 2023 - April 15, 2024). This order is designed to help Ohio residents served by PUCO-regulated utility companies to either reconnect or maintain their electric and natural gas services during the winter. Last year, over 198,000 Ohioans benefited from this order.
Under the SRO, residential customers can pay $175 to reconnect or maintain service. There are no income eligibility requirements and the customer only needs to mention the order when contacting their utility.
PUCO issues $1.44 million fine to RPA Energy, revokes authority to operate in Ohio
The PUCO has assessed a $1.44 million fine to RPA Energy, also known as Green Choice Energy, for violating consumer protection rules and revoked RPA Energy’s authority to do business in Ohio.
“There is no room for misleading or deceptive practices in Ohio’s competitive electricity or natural gas markets,” stated PUCO Chair Jenifer French. “We take these violations seriously and will not tolerate suppliers taking advantage of Ohioans.”
RPA Energy must refund affected customers the difference between their rates and the local utilities' default rates. Impacted customers will be returned to their utility’s default rate.
A PUCO staff investigation revealed 159 violations, such as forged customer signatures, non-disclosure of monthly fees, misleading statements, unauthorized third-party verification, altered sales call recordings, and non-adherence to the PUCO’s pandemic restrictions on door-to-door marketing.
The federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) took effect in 2021 and established the Grid Resilience Formula Grant Program, providing $14 million in federal funding for electric grid infrastructure to Ohio.
The application to receive funding is now open through the PUCO. Submissions will be accepted through December 1, 2023.
The PUCO has been named one of 27 energy organizations across the United States that will be hosting a Department of Energy 2023 Clean Energy Innovator Fellow. Newly-placed fellow Jocee Schwass will be supporting the PUCO's work in grid resilience and energy planning.
OPSB approves electric transmission project in Putnam and Hancock counties
The Ohio Power Siting Board authorized AEP Ohio Transmission Company to construct an electric transmission line project in Hancock and Putnam counties. The OPSB also approved an amendment allowing Clean Energy Future – Trumbull, LLC to make modifications to its Trumbull Energy Center currently under construction in Trumbull County.
Ohio's Transportation Budget directed the PUCO to publish reports regarding the regulations and enforcement of hazardous materials regulations, and best practices for the use of railroad technologies such as hotbox detectors, acoustic bearing detectors, or other wayside detectors.
As temperatures begin to drop, the risk of residential fires increases. Avoid the threat of home fires by keeping these safe winter heating tips in mind.
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Positions are posted regularly to Careers.Ohio.gov. Use the filter to select "Public Utilities Commission" to see all open jobs.
