Energy

Electricity costs are climbing, and reporting from Spectrum News and Hannah News Service shows the fight over who should pay for grid expansion intensifying as utilities and manufacturers clash over the assumptions driving future demand. Missing from much of the public debate is how the numbers behind these investments are created in the first place. In a recent filing, American Electric Power (AEP) Ohio acknowledged its earlier 30,000-megawatt projections were “purely speculative,” even as planning decisions tied to future growth continue moving forward. Manufacturers argue that when early-stage requests shape transmission planning, paper forecasts quickly turn into real costs for captive customers.

“What happened was they have used this number that they were never using for planning to create an impression of urgency with a lot of data center load,” Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA) energy engineer John Seryak told Columbus Business First. “And then when calls for load forecast integrity investigation started to come up, they said, ‘Oh, well, we’ll cut it.’

“That number was never real.”

Ohio manufacturers are not opposing growth; they are challenging a system that allows speculation to influence billion-dollar infrastructure decisions before projects are proven. When assumptions are treated like guaranteed load, risk shifts away from utilities and onto customers who have no choice but to pay the bill.

“Ohio families and manufacturers should not be financing a hypothetical future,” said Lindsey Short, OMA managing director of energy and advocacy services. “If the load is real, prove it. If it is speculative, stop asking customers to underwrite it.” 2/18/2026

Coverage from Construction Review Online highlights the scale of transmission expansion now moving forward in central Ohio after PJM approved new 765-kilovolt backbone lines designed to handle rising electricity demand. Projects of this size are built to move massive amounts of power across regions, underscoring how future load forecasts are already translating into long-term infrastructure commitments. The approval comes as manufacturers continue warning that early-stage demand assumptions are being treated as guaranteed growth, potentially locking customers into decades of higher costs before projects are fully realized. Steel in the ground and towers on the skyline show how quickly projections can turn into permanent infrastructure, raising the stakes for regulators to ensure that planning decisions are driven by verified demand rather than expectations that exist primarily on paper.

“Once these projects move forward, customers are paying for decisions that cannot be undone,” said Lindsey Short, managing director of energy and advocacy services for the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association. 2/18/2026

More than 100 ratepayer organizations, including the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association, are urging federal regulators to strengthen oversight of long-range grid projects, according to a new filing led by the Industrial Energy Consumers of America. The coalition argues that escalating infrastructure spending and weak cost controls are pushing electricity prices higher, calling on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to use its authority to protect customers from excessive transmission charges.

The push comes as new analysis from RunnerStone shows transmission costs for Ohio customers climbing sharply over the past decade, with AEP’s rates surging even as demand growth remains uncertain.

Manufacturers warn that without stronger guardrails, long-range projects could lock customers into decades of rising charges tied to projections that may never fully materialize.

“Competition is one of the few tools regulators have to control costs before they show up on customer bills,” said Lindsey Short, managing director of energy and advocacy services for the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association. “If transmission spending keeps accelerating without accountability, affordability becomes an afterthought.” 2/18/2026

Lawmakers in New Mexico rejected legislation that would have locked aggressive climate targets into state law, highlighting growing concern that rigid mandates could push electricity prices higher before technology and infrastructure are ready. Reporting from E&E News shows the proposal stalled as policymakers questioned whether government timelines were moving faster than markets can realistically support. The debate signals a broader national shift as states weigh affordability alongside environmental goals.

The outcome carries clear implications for Ohio, where regulators and lawmakers face similar decisions about how energy policy shapes manufacturing competitiveness, grid investment and customer bills. As transmission spending accelerates and planning decisions rely more heavily on future demand projections, manufacturers are urging policymakers to prioritize affordability and reliability before adopting mandates that risk locking in higher costs.

Across the country, policymakers are confronting a growing reality: when energy policy timelines outpace technology and infrastructure, customers are often left paying for decisions long before solutions are ready. 2/18/2026

The Ohio Senate on Wednesday passed Senate Bill 106, legislation aimed at preserving competition in Ohio’s electric vehicle charging market. The measure clarifies that EV charging is a competitive service, reinforcing Ohio’s market structure and preventing it from being treated as a regulated monopoly utility function. The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association previously submitted testimony supporting the proposal, noting that competitive frameworks help protect customers from unnecessary costs while encouraging private investment and innovation. The bill now moves to the Ohio House for consideration as lawmakers continue debating how EV infrastructure should develop within Ohio’s electric system. 2/19/2026

A newly announced $33 billion natural gas power project in southern Ohio, highlighted by President Donald Trump as part of a broader U.S.-Japan investment pledge, is adding fresh momentum to the state’s manufacturing outlook. The proposed facility near Portsmouth is expected to strengthen baseload generation, expand grid capacity and support the affordable power manufacturers rely on to compete and grow. Leaders say projects of this scale reinforce Ohio’s position as a hub for advanced manufacturing and global investment, while signaling confidence in the state’s workforce and business climate. Reliable energy is not optional for manufacturers. It is a competitive advantage that helps Ohio build, hire and lead in the next era of industrial growth. 2/18/2026

The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA) released a statement Wednesday following a recent decision by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) that is sharpening scrutiny of the utility forecasts shaping electricity prices across Ohio. Federal regulators signaled growing attention to whether early-stage load projections are being treated as guaranteed growth, a practice manufacturers warn could lock customers into billions of dollars in long-term infrastructure spending. In its ruling, FERC noted the utility faced excess capacity tied to its own procurement decisions, reinforcing broader questions about how projections linked to speculative demand are influencing market outcomes.

The debate has intensified as figures as high as 30 gigawatts of potential data center demand were cited in proceedings, even as questions grew about whether those projections reflected verified demand or tariff mechanics rather than new customer commitments. The decision adds momentum to calls for greater transparency and independent verification of large-load forecasts used in planning and market proceedings.

“When projections built on speculation start driving real prices, it’s time to ask tough questions about who benefits and who pays,” said OMA President Ryan Augsburger. 2/11/2026

According to Gongwer, consumer advocates and utilities are clashing over Ohio’s winter utility shutoff protections as the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) undertakes a broader review of administrative rules governing customer disconnections.

Advocacy groups are urging regulators to convert the PUCO’s annual Special Reconnect Order into a standing rule, arguing it would provide consistency and reduce the need for emergency actions during extreme winter weather. Utilities, however, are pushing back. AEP Ohio questioned the effectiveness of the winter heating season program, citing limited participation and warning that lower winter payments can leave customers with higher balances once the season ends.

Other companies weighed in with alternative proposals. Columbia Gas of Ohio urged regulators to expand eligibility for income-based assistance programs, while gas and electric providers also raised concerns about safety risks tied to same-day personal notice requirements for disconnections.

Manufacturers say the debate exposes a broader accountability issue in utility regulation.

“Utilities talk about discipline and market signals until winter hits,” said Lindsey Short, managing director of energy and advocacy services at the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association. “Then the rules bend, exceptions multiply, and costs quietly shift to customers.”

Short said Ohio’s regulatory framework should rely on clear, durable standards rather than seasonal workarounds that create uncertainty for customers and policymakers alike.

“Utilities want flexibility for themselves and certainty when it’s time to bill customers,” she added. 2/10/2026

Ohio Senate Democrats on Tuesday rolled out a slate of bills targeting data centers, but the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA) said lawmakers are attacking the symptom while locking in the mistake that is driving higher power costs in the first place.

“The problem is not data centers,” said Lindsey Short, OMA managing director of energy and advocacy services. “The problem is that unverified demand forecasts are being treated as guaranteed load and baked into grid planning and power markets. Lawmakers are now trying to regulate around projections that may never materialize.”

Short said singling out one industry avoids confronting deeper flaws in how large new loads are evaluated.

“These bills create carve-outs instead of fixing the system,” she said. “Ohio should not be locking in tax and energy policy based on speculative growth models. Until forecasts are independently verified, manufacturers and other customers will keep paying for infrastructure built to serve paper demand, not real factories or real jobs.”

She added that legislating around optimistic projections risks turning wishcasting into permanent policy. 2/4/2026

The federal bribery trial of two former FirstEnergy executives opened this week in Akron, with prosecutors alleging the men authorized a $4.3 million payment to influence political and regulatory decisions tied to House Bill 6, Ohio’s now-repealed nuclear bailout law. Defense attorneys for former CEO Chuck Jones and former senior vice president Michael Dowling said the payment was legitimate consulting compensation and argued the money was taken by a former state official who later became a top utility regulator. The case is part of the broader corruption scandal that led to the 2023 conviction of former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder.

“This is what happens when energy policy rewards political connections instead of economic reality,” said Lindsey Short, managing director of energy and advocacy services for the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association. “When influence replaces evidence, customers are left paying the price. Ohio’s energy system should be built on transparency and verified need, not insider arrangements that leave manufacturers and families holding the bag.” 2/4/2026

In the summer of 2022, American Electric Power shut off power to roughly 600,000 customers in Columbus, leaving many without electricity for days during one of the hottest weeks of the year.

State lawmakers responded to those reliability concerns by including a provision in House Bill 15, a law that overhauled electric utility regulation to increase transparency and accountability. The provision requires utilities to provide additional reliability information and directs the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to produce a report summarizing statewide electric reliability trends and recommending grid improvements. Legislators left some details of the reporting requirements to be determined by the commission.

The commission later released a draft outlining what information would be included in the reports and sought public comment. Customers and other stakeholders submitted a range of recommendations, including calls to require circuit-level reliability metrics that account for outages lasting less than five minutes, outages caused by major events such as severe weather, and transmission-related outages. Manufacturers said short-duration outages and major-event disruptions are of particular concern.

The commission rejected those recommendations and incorporated only changes supported by utilities.

Short outages and outages tied to major events still disrupt operations, damage equipment, spoil products and pose health risks to customers. Those are the types of disruptions customers and lawmakers have said they want better information about and solutions for. Under the commission’s rules, however, utility reports would show that electric circuits in Columbus improved from 2021 to 2022, a result critics say is misleading. 2/5/2026

A cold blast from Winter Storm Fern swept across much of the PJM power grid this week, exposing reliability challenges as natural gas plants struggled to stay online. On Sunday, PJM reported 21 gigawatts of generation outages, equal to about 16% of afternoon electricity demand.

The outages drove wholesale power prices to between $400 and $700 per megawatt-hour in parts of the region, while prices in Illinois fell below zero because of excess wind generation. Similar disruptions occurred during the 2014 polar vortex and 2022 Winter Storm Elliott, when cold weather also sidelined large amounts of gas-fired generation.

“This is the third major winter storm in a little more than a decade where cold weather has knocked out large amounts of gas-fired generation,” said Lindsey Short, managing director of energy and advocacy services at the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association. “That raises real questions about how the system is being planned to perform in winter conditions.”

PJM issued pre-emergency load management alerts during the storm, but did not declare an emergency event. 1/29/2026

Jury selection began this week in the corruption trial of former FirstEnergy CEO Chuck Jones, renewing focus on how political influence can shape Ohio’s energy policy and affect customer costs. Prosecutors allege Jones and another former executive arranged a $4.3 million payment to former Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Chairman Sam Randazzo in exchange for regulatory favors tied to House Bill 6, the now-repealed nuclear subsidy law. The case is part of the broader scandal that sent former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder to prison and reshaped state energy policy, with potential implications for utility oversight and ratepayer protections.

“This case is a reminder that when politics and power mix behind closed doors, Ohioans end up paying the price on their electric bills,” said Lindsey Short, managing director of energy and advocacy services for the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association. 1/30/2026

The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA) has joined a broad national coalition urging the U.S. Department of the Interior to adopt a robust offshore oil and natural gas leasing program to support energy reliability and economic growth.

In comments submitted to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, OMA and more than 150 business, manufacturing and energy organizations backed Interior’s proposed 11th National Offshore Leasing Program, which would expand lease sales in both traditional production regions and frontier areas.

The coalition said offshore energy currently accounts for about 14% of U.S. crude oil production and plays a key role in meeting growing demand for affordable, reliable energy while supporting high-paying jobs. The group also noted that U.S. offshore oil production ranks among the lowest in carbon intensity globally.

OMA said maintaining a strong offshore leasing schedule is critical to long-term energy security and to keeping power and fuel costs competitive for manufacturers and consumers alike.

“Reliable energy starts with reliable supply,” said Lindsey Short, OMA managing director of energy and advocacy services. “Offshore leasing is part of keeping power and fuel costs stable for all Ohioans.” 1/28/2026

Four finalists for an open seat on the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) were sent to Gov. Mike DeWine this week, teeing up a decision that will influence energy costs and grid oversight for manufacturers and other large power users. The PUCO Nominating Council advanced incumbent PUCO commissioner Dennis Deters, former Youngstown mayor Jamael “Tito” Brown, Larry Holmes and former state senator Sandra Williams for a five-year term beginning April 11, 2026. Holmes is a former Fort Recovery Industries executive who has been active in Ohio Manufacturers’ Association committee work on safety and workers’ compensation issues.

The commission regulates Ohio’s utilities and plays a central role in rate cases and infrastructure decisions that directly affect factory operations and competitiveness. 1/28/2026

Ohio lawmakers are pushing back on a request from FirstEnergy that would allow its utilities to operate under looser power outage and restoration standards, a proposal now before the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO). Legislators and local officials argue that weakening reliability rules would ask customers to accept longer and more frequent outages after years of infrastructure spending.

The debate has drawn attention from Ohio manufacturers, who depend on consistent, reliable power to operate, plan production schedules and protect equipment. The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA) has consistently emphasized that reliable electricity is essential to competitiveness and economic growth and that lowering performance expectations is not a substitute for sound planning and accountability.

“Manufacturers depend on reliable power every hour of every day,” said Lindsey Short, OMA managing director of energy and advocacy services. “Lowering outage standards shifts risk onto customers instead of fixing the problem.”

Lawmakers urging PUCO to reject the proposal say the focus should remain on improving grid performance, not redefining acceptable outage levels. PUCO is expected to continue reviewing the request in the coming weeks. 1/20/2026

Ohio’s energy conversation took a nuclear turn last week as data center developers and large customers outlined plans to secure large amounts of reliable power to support new, large-scale electricity loads. Announcements involving Meta and Vistra renewed focus on Ohio’s existing nuclear fleet, including the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station and the Perry Nuclear Power Plant, and their continued role in supporting reliability across the PJM Interconnection.

The developments also highlight how competitive electricity markets are responding to surging demand, with large customers turning to nuclear power for around-the-clock reliability and long-term price certainty. Importantly, the agreements rely on long-term power contracts that keep existing plants operating while supporting future generation that remains connected to and dispatched through the PJM grid, reinforcing systemwide reliability rather than bypassing it.

The week’s news also pointed to longer-term ambitions. Proposed small modular reactor development in Pike County added substance to the discussion, with Oklo and Meta outlining plans for a large nuclear campus that would build on recent federal investment in uranium enrichment in southern Ohio.

The takeaway for manufacturers is scale and certainty. Large new electric loads are reshaping how generation is planned, financed and operated. “Reliability and affordability still have to come first,” said Lindsey Short, Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA) managing director of advocacy and energy services. “New demand does not change the need for disciplined planning and realistic assumptions.”

The OMA’s Energy Committee will continue tracking these developments and providing members opportunities to engage with the companies and policymakers shaping Ohio’s energy future. 1/12/2026

FirstEnergy is asking Ohio regulators to weaken reliability standards for its utilities, including allowing longer power outages and more frequent service interruptions. The company told the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio that performance has slipped and is seeking approval for higher outage duration and frequency targets. Consumer advocates and local officials argue customers have already paid billions for grid upgrades and should expect stronger reliability, not reduced expectations. Dependable power is essential for manufacturers. “Manufacturers cannot plan, invest or compete with unreliable power,” said Lindsey Short, Ohio Manufacturers’ Association managing director of advocacy and energy services. “Lowering the bar on outages asks customers to accept less after paying more, and that is not a solution.” 1/13/2026

A new court filing shows Gov. Mike DeWine and U.S. Sen. Jon Husted may be among potential witnesses listed in the upcoming FirstEnergy corruption trial scheduled to begin Jan. 26. Lawyers for two former FirstEnergy executives disclosed a defense witness list that includes Gov. DeWine, Sen. Husted and other state officials as the case moves forward in Summit County Common Pleas Court. The filing does not guarantee those individuals will be called to testify, but it indicates the defense’s strategy and what issues may arise. The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association will continue monitoring developments in this longstanding matter. 1/14/2026

Ohio regulators have approved a $275 million settlement resolving cases tied to FirstEnergy’s role in the House Bill 6 bribery scandal, directing refunds and restitution to utility customers after investigations found violations of state law and regulatory rules. The settlement concludes multiple proceedings before the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio related to improper political spending and legislative influence.

The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA) has been engaged on House Bill 6 and utility accountability issues since the legislation was first introduced. In 2019, OMA released an analysis detailing the potential impact of the bill on manufacturers’ electricity costs and competitiveness and issued a Key Vote Alert to the Ohio Senate urging careful consideration of the bill’s implications. As the law moved into implementation, OMA continued raising concerns about increased regulation, market distortion and the role of state intervention in Ohio’s competitive electricity market.

OMA’s Energy Group has consistently urged regulators to hold utilities accountable and protect customers from higher costs tied to flawed policy decisions. The association will continue monitoring implementation of the settlement and advocating for transparent regulation, competitive markets and fair electricity rates that support Ohio manufacturers and the state’s economy. 1/8/2026