The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) staff is recommending that AES Ohio receive a new data center tariff before the data center “hypergrowth” problem has even shown up in the utility’s territory.

The recommendation, part of AES Ohio’s pending rate case, would create separate rate classes for data centers even as staff acknowledged AES has not experienced the same level of data center activity as AEP Ohio. Rather than wait for the issue to emerge, staff said the utility should “get ahead” of the potential problem.

That logic should alarm every electric customer in Ohio.

“This is ratemaking by speculation,” said Lindsey Short, managing director of energy and advocacy services for the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association. “PUCO staff is not responding to an actual crisis in AES territory. It is recommending special rate treatment because a crisis might appear someday. Ohio customers deserve evidence, discipline and protection from utility risk-shifting, not new tariffs built on hypotheticals.”

The AES recommendation follows the PUCO’s approval of AEP Ohio’s data center tariff and a separate directive for FirstEnergy utilities to develop data center rate structures.

“One exception becomes a precedent. One precedent becomes a playbook,” Short said. “Ohio can plan for growth without letting monopoly utilities turn hypotheticals into rate design.” 5/22/2026