Acton in Action: What We Do About Sky-High Energy Bills

Ohio Needs a Governor Focused on Costs

Ohio families are being squeezed from every angle — groceries, housing, healthcare.

And lately, electric bills are spiking too. In July, Eric’s and my energy bill went up by $150.92.

But we know we’re not the only ones. I hear about these sky-high bills everywhere I go:

Here’s the latest from Cleveland.com on why these bills are spiking everywhere.

That’s the bad news…the good news is that there’s a lot a governor can do about this, and there’s a lot other governors are doing about it right now.

I will start tackling this issue, and other cost increases, on my first day as Governor.

Here’s my specific plan to bring much needed relief:

Ohioans shouldn’t have to choose between keeping the lights on and putting food on the table. Ohioans deserve energy that is affordable, reliable, and fair. That takes leadership willing to stand up to special interests and fight for working families.

Energy prices in Ohio are rising because of a broken system that prioritizes everything but families: a utilities commission that doesn’t focus on costs, inefficient utilities passing costs onto ratepayers, and politicians shutting down alternatives that could lower costs. We pay the price for this all.

Stronger oversight at the top.

The governor appoints commissioners to what’s called the PUCO (Ohio’s utility commission). And as governor, I’ll appoint members who focus on consumer costs and quality services, and provide incentives and tough oversight for utilities–so that they perform efficiently and don’t just pad profits through higher rates.

Consumer protection.

The Ohio Consumer Counsel’s budget has been cut repeatedly, while utilities spend tens of millions on lawyers and lobbyists. Strengthening the OCC would give households a stronger advocate in rate increase cases, ensuring families — not just utilities — have a seat at the table.

Energy efficiency

Before HB 6, Ohio had measures in place that required utilities to help customers save energy, which lowers overall demand, costs and bills. Reinstating and updating these standards would ensure utilities once again invest in efficiency measures and productivity gains rather than just selling more power that we all pay for.

Reducing High-Cost Peak Usage

Much of the high energy costs take place at periods of peak energy usage, which consumers are often unaware of until they see the monthly bill. I will ensure that Ohio promotes reforms such as time sensitive pricing, wider use of batteries and other means of energy storage, and smart meters, all to move more consumption off peak (lowering costs), and to facilitate better price signals and improve service quality and efficiency.

Lower Cost Alternatives

Ohio politicians have made it nearly impossible to advance zero marginal cost generation such as wind and solar, forcing Ohio to generate energy through unnecessarily high cost means. I will reexamine these obstacles that, in the long run, hit Ohio families in their pocketbooks.

Regional Coordination to Reform PJM.

Ohio is one of many states that relies on a regional grid called PJM, which coordinates and plans electricity supply across the region. As Governor Shapiro recently made clear, this is the source for much of the increased costs.

I will join other governors to demand that PJM undertake needed reform to enhance transparency and lower costs, while improving the energy planning process.

Support for families.

We must expand participation in low-income assistance programs such as Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) and the Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP), so that households will pay less out of pocket during peak energy months. We will explore expanding state-level emergency relief funds to support high-need populations.

Hold Consumers Harmless from Data Center Spikes.

Much of the overall spike in energy costs is coming from the intense demand and use of new data centers in Ohio and elsewhere. As Governor, I will take steps to ensure that these added costs are shouldered by those who are creating them—and that the bill is NOT footed by consumers and other businesses.

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We must make energy in Ohio more affordable, reliable, and fair, while building a stronger foundation for the future.

And it starts with a governor whose first priority is to lower costs and enhance services for consumers, and not on doing the bidding of special interests and their lobbyists. Ohio has felt the squeeze of that latter approach for far too long.

More to come on how we will reduce these bills and so many other costs that are squeezing Ohio families.