30 Years of Consumer Advocacy

The Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel (OCC) celebrated its 30-year anniversary in 2006. To commemorate this milestone, we embarked on a year-long journey that took a look at our past accomplishments and shared our vision for the future. We participated in a number of events throughout 2006, dedicated space on our website to tell the story, documented our past through an historical journal, received countless congratulatory notes on a job well done and even reunited with former friends and colleagues who helped the agency grow over the last 30 years.

In honor of the OCC’s anniversary, Consumers’ Counsel Janine Migden-Ostrander gave presentations at 15 events, traveling throughout the state from Cleveland to Zanesville to Athens, Cincinnati and Lima. She listened to countless consumers talk about the availability of assistance programs, rising natural gas prices, telephone service issues and power plant construction. Ms. Migden-Ostrander presented information about the OCC’s role in advocating for reasonable rates and quality service for Ohio’s residential utility customers. She also talked to consumers about diversifying our energy resources and introduced a plan for the future.

The OCC’s website documented the agency’s activities for the year and recognized our past successes. The historical journal provided readers with a perspective about the top utility issues that took place over the course of 30 years and offered vignettes about the actions the Consumers’ Counsel took on behalf of residential consumers. There also was a sampling of the many benefits achieved – more than $3 billion saved for consumers – over the past three decades.

A roundtable forum to discuss energy issues was held at the Vern Riffe Center as yet another way to commemorate the OCC’s 30 years of advocacy. Regulators, legislators, utility executives and Ms. Migden-Ostrander took center stage in front of an audience of more than 100 interested parties to share their ideas and concerns about the future of energy in our state. Participants included Sen. Robert Schuler (R-Sycamore Twp.), Rep. John P. Hagan (R-Alliance), Alan R. Schriber, Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, Anthony J. Alexander, FirstEnergy CEO and President, and Jack Partridge, Columbia Gas of Ohio President. The panel was moderated by then-Attorney General Jim Petro.

Photo of Energy Forum Panel

Ms. Migden-Ostrander said of the forum: “Today’s statewide forum created an opportunity to publicly discuss the direction of Ohio’s energy future from a variety of perspectives. Ultimately, we need to come together and forge a sustainable plan that will be good for all consumers from the residential customer struggling to make ends meet to the many commercial small businesses that are the backbone of this state and the large industrial customers that employ many of our citizens.”

The year unfolded quickly, with the OCC working hard to provide additional benefits for consumers. The OCC gratefully thanks and acknowledges everyone who has played a role in the creation and support of the agency since 1976, and in the agency’s work as the advocate for Ohio’s residential utility consumers. We look forward to the next 30 years.

 

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