Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel

Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel

Ohio Partners for Affordable Energy

Ohio Environmental Council

Environment Ohio

Appalachian People’s Action Coalition

Citizen Power

Communities United for Action

Consumers for Fair Utility Rates

Cleveland Housing Network

Empowerment Center of Greater Cleveland

Greater Ohio

Neighborhood Environmental Coalition

Northwest Ohio Aggregation Coalition

Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council

Ohio Interfaith Power and Light

Ohio State Legal Services Association

Utility Consumer Advocates Raise Initial Concerns about Electricity Prices and Rules for Ohioans

COLUMBUS, Ohio – July 2, 2008 – A coalition of Ohio’s utility consumer advocates will be carefully reviewing proposed rules issued today by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) to implement SB 221, the bill recently signed into law designed to address electricity prices, energy efficiency, and alternative energy planning. The coalition includes the Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel, Ohio Partners for Affordable Energy, the Ohio Environmental Council, Environment Ohio, Appalachian People’s Action Coalition, Citizen Power, Consumers for Fair Utility Rates, Cleveland Housing Network, Empowerment Center of Greater Cleveland, Greater Ohio, Ohio Interfaith Power and Light, Neighborhood Environmental Coalition, the Northwest Ohio Aggregation Coalition (NOAC) and the Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council (NOPEC), Ohio State Legal Services Association, among others.

The coalition will evaluate the rules using two simple criteria: 1) Will the rules help ensure that customers will receive the lowest possible price?; and, 2) Will the rules effectively implement the alternative energy and energy efficiency standards? Initial comments about the proposed rules are due to the PUCO July 22, 2008.

“We need to ensure that customers see the lowest possible electric rates. This can be achieved through a process in which regulated and market options are compared,” said Janine Migden-Ostrander, Ohio Consumers’ Counsel. “Aggressive implementation of the alternative energy and energy efficiency standards are also key to long-term price stability”

“The Governor and the General Assembly called for transparency in the process and putting customers and utilities on equal footing,” added Dave Rinebolt, Executive Director of Ohio Partners for Affordable Energy. “The rules must ensure a fair and balanced outcome for all consumers.”

“The rules also need to ensure that utilities have solid plans for incorporating wind and other renewable energy technologies into the mix of power plants,” added Amy Gomberg of Environment Ohio. “SB 221 made real changes in the types of electricity utilities and marketers must provide. Customers will see more stable prices over the next 30 years and beyond if the renewable energy requirements are correctly implemented.”

“Rapidly expanding the use of energy efficiency technologies will reduce customer energy usage by 22 percent over the next 18 years,” said Nolan Moser of the Ohio Environmental Council. “These requirements are good for the environment, will produce new jobs, and most importantly will save customers’ money.”

Leigh Herington, executive director of NOPEC, urged that market options need to be kept open. “NOPEC has been saving northeast Ohio customers money for seven years. We need to retain market options as a check on utility rates.”

“For more than three decades residential families in Northern Ohio have suffered from electric rates that were among the highest in Ohio and in the nation,” added Tim Walters, long-time community organizer and spokesperson for the Citizens Coalition. “Hopefully the PUCO rules and regulations, implementing the new SB 221 law, will bring a measure of relief by reducing electric rates for all residential customers, including the working poor and low-income families.”

Contacts:

• Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel: Ryan Lippe, 614-466-7269

• Ohio Partners for Affordable Energy: Dave Rinebolt, 614-975-8692

• Ohio Environmental Council: Nolan Moser, 614-487-7506

• Environment Ohio: Amy Gomberg, 614-460-8732

• Appalachian People's Action Coalition, Ohio State Legal Services Association: Mike Smalz, 614-221-7201

• Citizen Power: David Hughes, 412-421-6072

• Communities United for Action: Noel Morgan, 513-362-2837

• Consumers for Fair Utility Rates, Cleveland Housing Network, Empowerment Center of Greater Cleveland, Neighborhood Environmental Coalition: Tim Walters, 216-631-5800

• Greater Ohio: Gene Krebs, 614-258-1713 ext 30 or 513-739-2412 (cell)

• Northwest Ohio Aggregation Coalition: Leslie Kovacik, 419-245-1893

• Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council: Leigh Herington, 330-468-9976

• Ohio Interfaith Power and Light: Greg Hitzhusen 607-339-6419