puco
Gov. DeWine doesn’t seem interested in holding staff and allies accountable in bribery scandal
Nothing to see here. Remain calm. All is well. No big deal. Everybody knew. That appears to be Gov. Mike DeWine’s reaction to the public finding out he appointed a FirstEnergy consultant to regulate utilities in Ohio the company now admits paying $4.3 million to do their bidding. As the fallout from the $61 million […]
FirstEnergy paid $4.3 mil to top energy regulator and reaped the benefits, court docs state
An energy lobbyist who Gov. Mike DeWine appointed as the state’s top regulator of public utilities received $22 million from FirstEnergy Corp. in the decade before his appointment — including $4.3 million paid just before assuming the post and specifically to execute official duties to benefit the Akron-based utility — court documents revealed Thursday. Sam […]
FirstEnergy touts openness, critic questions it
The Ohio power company at the heart of a historic scandal has taken steps in recent months to move on from it. Akron-based FirstEnergy conducted an internal investigation that resulted in the firing of its CEO and other top executives. It agreed to forgo revenue guarantees that resulted from the corrupt legislation, House Bill 6, […]
Ohio Supreme Court: PUCO can’t make rules instead of following state law
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio overreached when it made up its own rules in deciding whether a provider of electric and water service was a public utility, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled. In a ruling on the case of Wingo v. Nationwide Energy Partners, LLC., the state’s highest court said rather than following state […]
Bankruptcy judge orders lobbyists to explain their role in HB 6
A federal judge handling the bankruptcy of a company involved in an allegedly corrupt nuclear bailout has ordered a prominent law firm to explain its role in the affair. The firm, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP, served both as lead bankruptcy counsel to the company receiving the $1.3 billion ratepayer bailout and as […]
Consumer advocate again demanding independent probe of FirstEnergy
Ohio's official consumer advocate is again asking that regulators mount an independent investigation into whether a Northern Ohio utility improperly used ratepayer funds to fuel what federal prosecutors called the biggest bribery scandal in state history.
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 […]
History Thursday, energy efficiency, illicit drug trends, and water bill tax liens
Each day in our newsletter, we are highlighting stories and commentary from other media big and small throughout Ohio and the nation. If you’d like to get this feature directly to your inbox, please sign up for our newsletter here. Catching Our Eye: History Thursday. Today the OCJ’s Tyler Buchanan took a look back at 100 years of […]
DeWine picks Democratic incumbent to keep serving as PUCO commissioner
Gov. Mike DeWine has opted to give the Democrat incumbent on the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio another term as commissioner. DeWine made the unheralded selection as part of a slate of appointments announced by news release late Thursday afternoon. Lawrence Friedeman was picked to serve a full five-year term. He has served as a […]
Utility’s corporate secretary among finalists for PUCO regulator spot
The leading candidates for an influential public utilities commissioner spot appear to be an incumbent who once worked for a utility company and a challenger who does right now. Two others under consideration include a renewable energy project consultant who believes he is a “token Democrat” finalist, and a government finance manager whose application concedes […]
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. […]