Supplier enforcement actions

Many Ohioans turn to third-party energy suppliers to help save money on their electric or natural gas bills. However, there are cases where suppliers may not fully follow PUCO regulations put in place to protect consumers. When this happens, the PUCO may order the supplier to comply and may issue a monetary forfeiture.

• Current Power & Gas – this supplier was found to be unable to serve retail electric customers or meet financial obligations. The PUCO ensured that Current customers would return to their local electric distribution utility with no service outages due to the change.
• Direct Energy – the PUCO accepted a settlement that saw Direct Energy paying a civil forfeiture, making a contribution to the Dollar Energy Fund and cease using a digital third-party verification service for enrollment. This came as the PUCO found the company to be in violation of marketing solicitation and enrollment regulations.
• Xoom Energy – this supplier was found to have enrolled customers without proper consent and was required to pay a civil forfeiture, contribute to the Dollar Energy Fund and credit or rebill impacted customers.
• Realgy Energy – the PUCO reached a settlement agreement that saw Realgy Energy pay a civil forfeiture, credit impacted customers and cease doing business in Ohio. In addition, Realgy Energy owners and officers are barred from working in the competitive energy business in Ohio.

Read more about enforcement actions here.

Economic development

In 2024, the PUCO authorized several arrangements between utilities and other facilities, such as factories and plants. These arrangements allow for the manufacturers to participate in grid reliability programs while committing to investments in employment and capital infrastructure. 

These arrangements include:

• L-H Battery Company, a joint venture between LG Energy Solution and Honda Motor Co., and Northeast Ohio Natural Gas. L-H Battery, located in Jeffersonville, Ohio, plans an overall investment of $4.4 billion and the creation of 2,200 jobs.
• North Star BlueScope, a steel facility in Delta, Ohio, and Toledo Edison. North Star BlueScope plans $100 - 150 million in capital investment, in addition to a previous $735 million expansion that created 150 new jobs.
• JSW Steel, in Mingo Junction, Ohio, and AEP Ohio. JSW Steel plans a $160 million expansion that is expected to add 26 new full-time jobs.
• PRO-TEC Coating Company, in Leipsic, Ohio, and AEP Ohio. PRO-TEC plans $6.5 million in capital investment and 20 high-skilled jobs, in addition to the $700 million in investment and 427 jobs retained during a previous arrangement.
• Presrite Corporation, located in northeast Ohio, and The Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company. Presrite is a metal forging company and plans to make an additional $5 million in investments and maintain 400 jobs, in addition to the $30 million in investment made during a previous arrangement.
• AEP Ohio and Intel. AEP Ohio will invest an estimated $95.1 million to construct a new electric substation facility to serve Intel with up to 500 megawatts of electric load. The facility will result in 3,000 direct Intel jobs, 7,000 construction jobs over the course of the construction, and over 10,000 additional indirect and support jobs. According to a JobsOhio economic impact study, during construction, Intel’s facilities would support $2.57 billion of economic activity and $668 million of gross state product in Ohio and $446 million of annual labor income.
• University of Dayton, Tallgrass Energy and AES Ohio. Under the arrangement approved by the PUCO,  the University will create a more sustainable campus and community. Tallgrass will own and operate a waste heat recovery system connected to an existing natural gas compression site alongside a major interstate natural gas pipeline. AES Ohio will purchase the electricity generated from the facility’s waste heat and use it to serve the electric load for the University of Dayton. 

Call center savings

Ohio’s utility consumers rely on the PUCO Call Center to help them with questions or issues they are having with regulated utilities in the state. During 2024, more than 55,000 Ohioans contacted the PUCO by telephone, email or letter. Call Center staff assisted over 1,700 Ohio utility consumers (both residential and commercial) who received more than $1.5 million back from utility companies.

Ohio Power Siting Board

During 2024, 91 new applications were filed and 100 staff reports were produced for cases involving major utility facilities before the Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB). 

OPSB compliance staff also conducted 247 inspections and resolved 32 complaints. OPSB staff attended 26 hearings, meetings and conferences.

Read more about the OPSB. 

Federal Energy Advocate files comments and administers grants to further energy efforts in Ohio

The Office of the Federal Energy Advocate (FEA) filed comments in several cases before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Comments filed were related to electric regional transmission planning and provision of reactive power within the standard power factor range by generating facilities, as well as other cases.

Read comments filed by the FEA.

The FEA team also oversaw the administration of the Grid Resilience Formula Grant Program. Applications for the grant program were collected in the fourth quarter of 2023 and the PUCO announced the intended recipients in April 2024. Approximately $11.4 million is expected to be awarded for seven projects in the state.

Read details about the projects selected through the Grid Resilience Formula Grant Program.  

PUCO transportation staff aim to keep Ohio’s roadways and railroads safe

Ohioans will see upgraded safety equipment and other improvements at 111 railroad crossings in 29 counties thanks to funding approvals from the PUCO in 2024. Improvements include flashing lights, gates, and work on crossing surfaces. Nearly $12 million in funds was approved through the PUCO, federal funds and assistance from the Ohio Rail Development Commission.

Motor carrier inspections play a vital role in the PUCO’s efforts to keep the state’s roadways safe for all. In addition to routine inspections, staff participated in the annual International Roadcheck in May and a partnership with the Ohio State Highway Patrol for an enforcement blitz. Both of these efforts combined resulted in over 1,100 citations and 2,000+ inspections.

Read more about the International Roadcheck and the enforcement blitz.

Annually, the PUCO awards grants to educational institutions and local governments in Ohio to assist in training emergency responders to handle incidents related to hazardous materials. In 2024, 27 applicants were awarded a collective $800,000.

Visit the Hazardous Materials Training Grants to learn more.

Coming soon: Underground Utility Damage Prevention Grant

The PUCO is launching a new grant program in 2025: the Underground Utility Damage Prevention Grant. This grant will provide funding for: 

• Public awareness programs established by a protection service;
• Training and education programs for excavators, operators, designers, persons who locate underground utility facilities, or other persons;
• Programs providing incentives for excavators, operators, persons who locate underground utility facilities, or other persons to reduce the number and severity of compliance failures.

The grant application period opens on January 1, 2025 and closes on February 28, 2025.

Click here for application details.

PUCO Nominating Council seeks applications for PUCO commissioner position

The PUCO Nominating Council is seeking applications for the position of commissioner of the PUCO to fill a vacancy for the term commencing on April 11, 2025 and ending on April 10, 2030. Applications must be delivered to the Nominating Council no later than 5 p.m. EST on Jan. 10, 2025.  

Full position posting and application details are available here.

Ohio holiday season events

Holiday Lights Trail

The Ohio Holiday Lights Trail features 70+ stops that take you around Ohio. Visit these dazzling displays for an unforgettable holiday experience!  Ohio.org/HolidayLights.

Ohio Holiday Events Guide

Celebrate holidays in Ohio with 400+ festive events across the state! Find events in every county all season long in the Holiday Events Guide: Ohio.org/HolidayEvents