Rep. Sweeney Urges PUCO to Hold Meeting with Utility Leaders Regarding Power Outages

COLUMBUS — In a letter sent Wednesday to Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) Chair Jenifer French, State Rep. Bride Sweeney (D-Westlake) and other House Democrats called on the PUCO to take immediate action to address the reliability of Ohio's power grid in light of recent severe weather events that have caused widespread outages. The delegation—made up of Democrats on the Ohio House Public Utilities Committee and representing Northeast Ohio—urged the PUCO to convene meetings with utility leaders to discuss the issue and explore solutions to protect consumers in case of prolonged outages.

“After nearly a week without power, Cuyahoga County residents deserve answers. Ohioans pay too much money on their monthly utility bills for our energy infrastructure and resiliency to be this bad,” said Rep. Sweeney. “The frequency and duration of these storm-related power outages is only going to get worse if we continue to do nothing. It’s time for the PUCO to take action.”

The letter highlights the urgent need for a modern and resilient grid system following the storms and tornadoes that ravaged Northeast Ohio on August 6. Those storms led to extensive power outages and prompted a state of emergency declaration by Governor DeWine. The delegation expressed concern over Ohio's current performance in managing power outages, referencing a recent Cleveland.com article reporting Ohio ranked second in the nation for residents affected by power outages.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The letter sent to PUCO Chair French is attached here.