AEP Ohio has cut disputed customer load forecasts by as much as 33% after the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA) Energy Group challenged assumptions that did not hold up under scrutiny.

The original forecasts projected major electricity-use growth across several commercial and industrial customer classes, including some where expected data center growth was unlikely to materialize. OMA warned that those inflated projections could distort rates and shift costs among customers. PUCO staff agreed that several forecasts were significantly overstated and ordered AEP to update them.

The result is a far more realistic proposal. General service secondary and primary customers would now see increases of less than 1%, while transmission-level customers would see a 1.6% decrease.

“AEP’s original numbers did not survive contact with the evidence,” said Ryan Augsburger, president of the OMA. “We challenged the assumptions, PUCO forced a correction and customers are now looking at rates based on numbers that are actually credible. This is exactly why forecasts must be tested before they become customer bills.”

The correction is a win for customers, but it also proves the larger point. Unproven forecasts should be challenged in open PUCO proceedings, not baked into law before customers can test the assumptions and cost shifts behind them. 7/29/2026