• On June 13, top executives for AEP Ohio and PJM Interconnection appeared before the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to explain the mid-June power outages that affected more than a quarter of a million residents. (See this video starting at the 16:00 mark.) PUCO Chair Jenifer French has directed staff to prepare a report on the events. Customers can weigh in at 1-800-686-7826 or via the PUCO website.
• Surging energy prices fueled the 9.1% jump in U.S. consumer inflation last month, soaring more than 41% from June 2021 to June 2022. Gasoline prices rose 59.9% — the largest 12-month increase since March 1980. Electricity prices increased more than 13% over the last 12 months, and natural gas prices rose 38.4%, the largest 12-month jump since October 2005.
• Republicans in Congress say the U.S. EPA could be threatening electric grid reliability by forcing power plants to shut down, according to reports.

Meanwhile, domestic coal prices have reached record territory, driven by the European Union’s impending ban on Russian coal. Approximately 24% of the electricity used in Ohio comes from coal, according to the PUCO. 7/14/2022