OMA Is Supporting Party to PUCO Settlement to Refund Customers

In response to the PUCO-announced settlement agreement calling for FirstEnergy’s Ohio utilities to refund customers $306 million, OMA President Ryan Augsburger issued the following statement.

“The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association is proud to be a party to the unanimous settlement agreement filed with the PUCO on November 1, 2021. The settlement is a huge win for residential and business customers who have been saddled with above-market charges for years as a result of FirstEnergy’s aggressive lobbying for new charges assessed to customers’ bills through electric security plans, the interpretation of the significantly excessive earning test (SEET), and the propriety of a subsidy that the OMA was instrumental in appealing that was later found to be improper by the Supreme Court of Ohio. Sadly, in Ohio, customers rarely see refunds from utilities, so this settlement is a welcome step in the right direction. We urge the PUCO to approve the settlement.” 11/2/2021