Ohio regulators have ordered FirstEnergy to create new pricing rules for data center customers, expanding the tariff debate beyond AEP Ohio and raising fresh concerns for manufacturers.

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio gave FirstEnergy’s three Ohio utilities 30 days to propose how much more large data centers should pay for transmission costs tied to their growth. The move comes as some lawmakers, including Reps. Dave Thomas and Tristan Rader, are pushing to write separate data center pricing into state law.

The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA), which has already challenged AEP Ohio’s data center tariff, warned that calling discriminatory rate treatment a “distinct rate structure” does not change what it is.

“Calling it a ‘distinct rate structure’ does not change what it is,” said OMA President Ryan Augsburger. “It’s a special rate treatment for one category of customer. OMA does not support discriminatory data center tariffs, and Ohio should be very careful about letting monopoly utilities carve up the electric system customer by customer.”

OMA has been clear that real customers should pay real costs. But Ohio should not let monopoly utilities turn speculative growth forecasts into a new tariff playbook that singles out customers, shifts risk and leaves manufacturers exposed. 5/18/2026