The biggest question in Ohio’s energy debate is no longer whether the grid needs investment. It is whether customers are being asked to pay for upgrades tied to speculative demand rather than real, measurable load. Utilities say major infrastructure spending is necessary to maintain reliability and prepare for future growth, especially from large new loads such as data centers.

The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA) has warned that the biggest risk is not growth itself, but how speculative demand forecasts can be used to justify major grid investments long before that demand is proven. Because regulated utilities earn guaranteed returns on infrastructure spending, larger forecasts can translate into larger projects and higher costs for existing customers.

“Utilities have every reason to forecast high, because bigger projections help justify bigger projects and bigger returns,” said Lindsey Short, OMA managing director of energy and advocacy services. “When those forecasts are wrong, shareholders are protected and customers still pay. That is not how risk is supposed to work.”

OMA has pointed to AEP Ohio’s data center tariff as a key example of how projected growth can move quickly from speculation to planning assumption. Manufacturers support a reliable and modern grid, but the association says regulators must ensure investment decisions are grounded in verified demand, not hype about future load growth. 4/8/2026