AEP can spin this however it wants, but the bottom line is simple: Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) staff found the company’s load forecasts were significantly overstated, and AEP accepted corrected numbers. That is a major validation of what the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA) has been warning for months as utilities push new policies and rate structures tied to projected data center growth.

In reviewing AEP Ohio’s proposed Basic Transmission Cost Rider rates, PUCO staff found the utility overstated load growth across several general service classes and counted projected data center demand more than once, including in classes where hyperscale data centers do not belong. OMA said the findings show why utility forecasts cannot be treated as gospel when they can trigger real costs for other customers.

“AEP can spin this however it wants, but the bottom line is simple: staff found the forecasts were significantly overstated and AEP accepted corrected numbers,” OMA President Ryan Augsburger said. 3/17/2026