public utilities commission of ohio
Defenders claimed corrupt energy bill would save money. Prosecutor smashed that claim, too
Jim Trakas was the Republican nominee for Ohio House District 6, but lost the General Election in 2018. As a consultant, he supported House Bill 6 the following year, but couldn’t vote for it. This story has been updated. CINCINNATI — On the stand in federal court, one witness after another testified that he supported […]
Ohio utility regulator front and center in massive bailout scandal
CINCINNATI — Ohio’s utility regulator is at the center of a massive bribery and money laundering scandal that has been the focus of a trial here since late last month. In 2019, its chairman and a very recent senior official played a central role in writing corrupt bailout legislation that would give more than $1 billion […]
Householder corruption trial: Regulator sent resume to utility he was regulating
CINCINNATI — At the start of 2019 — as work was beginning on a corrupt $1.3 billion bailout — a senior official with the state’s utility regulator sent his resume to a top lobbyist at one of the utilities he was supposed to be regulating. That might seem improper, but the top person charged in […]
Consumer, environmental groups slam proposed utility increase
Several environmental and consumer groups called a press conference Wednesday in front of Columbia Gas’s Columbus headquarters to give the company a lump of coal for Christmas. Their issue? Columbia Gas and some other stakeholders have agreed to allow Columbia to increase its fixed charges by more than 50% — up to $57 a month […]
Columbia Gas poised to get big rate increase
Amid high consumer inflation and spiking energy costs, Columbia Gas of Ohio could start charging each Ohio customer much more in fixed costs. And, while outside advocacy groups are opposing the move, it would be doing so with the support of the state’s official consumer representative. A “stipulation” that is now before the Public Utilities […]
Ohio Democrats focusing HB 6 scandal attention on Gov. DeWine
In the year after the House Bill 6 scandal first broke in July 2020, much of the focus was on state Rep. Larry Householder. Householder has since been booted from the legislature and awaits trial. Attention is shifting further toward Gov. Mike DeWine as the investigation continues to develop. The governor has not been accused […]
Consumer protection? New DeWine regulatory chief says most overcharges can’t be refunded
Gov. Mike DeWine’s latest appointee to lead Ohio’s scandal-plagued utility regulator last week raised concerns among some lawmakers and consumer watchdogs. She claimed that her agency has only a very limited ability to make electric companies refund billions in improper charges to ratepayers. There was always going to be scrutiny when Jenifer French made her […]
What you need to know about utilities in the time of COVID-19
Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, laws, rules and policies governing public utilities have been in a state of constant change. Utility laws affect almost all Ohioans and those facing financial hardship will benefit from staying up to date on recent changes and assistance opportunities. PUCO-Regulated Utility Customers In March, the Public Utilities Commission of […]
Bills to prevent utility shutoffs, evictions and foreclosures introduced in Ohio House
Two separate bills have been introduced in the Ohio House to address economic hardships stemming from the coronavirus pandemic, including one to prevent evictions and foreclosures and the other to prevent utility shutoffs. On Sunday, state Reps. David Leland, D-Columbus, and Jeffrey Crossman, D-Parma, introduced a bipartisan bill to put a stop to evictions and […]
Meet the candidates vying for an influential utilities commission seat
One is a lawyer for a public utility in Northern Michigan. Another is a private consultant who assists utility companies in building solar and wind farms. There are also IT specialists, a finance manager, a health education specialist, a counselor and even a historian who says he wants the job to pay off personal debts. […]