Ohio Edison seeks to increase electric rates

Clark County residents could see a 1.5% increase on their monthly electricity bill from Ohio Edison in the near future.

The proposed increase is part of a request from FirstEnergy for its Ohio companies to raise base rates in order to allow the companies to “recover their costs of providing distribution services to customers,” which includes recent improvements and to implement “proposed initiatives designed to further enhance reliability and customer service,” spokesperson Hannah Catlett said. An evidentiary hearing in front of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio will be held May 5 at 10 a.m. in Columbus.

A typical Ohio Edison resident customer who uses on average 750 kilowatt-hours of electricity per month would see an increase of about $1.92, or 1.5%,on their monthly bill, Catlett said.

“Since their last rate review, FirstEnergy’s Ohio companies have collectively invested millions of dollars to modernize and strengthen the distribution system,” Catlett said. “These investments, which help reduce the size and length of power outages, include the installation of automated devices and technology that can sense an outage and automatically transfer customers to an adjacent power line to limit the number of customers who experience a lengthy outage.”

FirstEnergy, in a legal notice, said the increase for Ohio Edison would generate about $47,789,925, or a 6.7% increase in additional revenue.

Catlett said northeast Ohio’s storms in August saw its smart grid technology in action in storm restoration efforts. She said smart meters allowed the company to confirm power restorations occurred as reported, and the Advanced Distribution Management System — software for distribution grid operations that automates outage restoration — “provided operators and field personnel with better situational awareness by allowing them to see more real-time data.” The smart grid technology helped streamline restoration by reducing “unnecessary” calls.

“We anticipate similar successes in the future when new technology along with smart meters are fully deployed across Springfield area,” Catlett said.

FirstEnergy’s Ohio electric distribution companies — Ohio Edison, The Illuminating Company, and Toledo Edison — on May 31, 2024 filed a base rate review request with PUCO, Catlett said. It last filed a review in 2007, with rates taking effect in 2009.

PUCO regulates utility service providers including electric and natural gas companies, water and wastewater companies, rail and trucking companies, as well as local and long distance phone companies.

After the evidentiary hearing, PUCO will determine next steps. Typically, parties in the case submit post-hearing briefs and the PUCO would then issue its Opinion and Order.

There are almost 88,000 total Clark County customers, with about 28,000 being located in Springfield.

Public hearings will be held in Cleveland, Akron and Toledo in April.

Springfield-area residents can file written public comments in the docket for PUCO to consider at https://bit.ly/PUCOcomment

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About the Author

Jessica Orozco

Jessica Orozco covers crime, courts, government and more in Clark County for the Springfield-News Sun. She previously covered crime and courts for The Lima News, and before that, Orozco interned at The Columbus Dispatch on the metro desk. Orozco has a bachelor of arts in journalism from Ohio State University, from where she graduated in May 2022.