AEP Lines Up Supporters for Customer-Paid Solar Project

Last week AEP held a public hearing on its application to mandate that all customers pay for a large solar power generation facility that the Columbus-based utility proposes to develop in Highland County in southern Ohio.

The hearing featured presentations from many individuals and organizations that support the project. Witnesses included labor leaders, Appalachian advocacy organizations, universities, environmentalists and even a coal industry executive. Read more about the packed house of supporters.

The OMA Energy Group, a party in the case, as well as other customer groups and competitive suppliers, firmly opposes the application. While the OMA has a long history of support for reasonable renewable-energy development in a competitive market, this application is badly flawed.

Customers should not be required to pay for and guarantee the risk for this project unless AEP can prove to state regulators that there is a need for the power plant that will be paid for by ratepayers. It’s a well-known fact that the region presently enjoys a significant surplus of electric capacity. 12/13/2018