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