Rep. Cockley Joins Fellow House Energy Committee Members Calling on the PUCO to Maintain Reliability Standards

COLUMBUS – State Rep. Christine Cockley (D-Columbus) last week urged the Public Utilities Commission (PUCO), alongside fellow House Energy Committee members, to reject FirstEnergy’s request to increase the allowable frequency and duration of annual power outages for its subsidiaries: Cleveland Electric Illuminating Co., Ohio Edison, and Toledo Edison.

The lawmakers noted that passing House Bill 15 sent a clear signal that strengthening reliability standards is a bipartisan issue and one that remains a priority for the committee. HB 15 mandated higher reliability and more rigorous reporting standards. FirstEnergy’s request, however, undermines this progress, seeking to lower the bar for service quality at a time when the state is demanding greater accountability.

“Ohioans are already paying enough on their electric bills, and they deserve a reliable grid. Now is not the time to weaken reliability standards or grant exceptions that leave communities in the dark,” said Rep. Cockley.

If approved, these changes would effectively raise the threshold for what is considered acceptable downtime, potentially shielding FirstEnergy from regulatory penalties even as quality declines for thousands of Ohio residents.

A hearing is scheduled for Thursday, February 26th at 10:00 am and the PUCO is accepting public comments on Case No. 24-1112-EL-ESS .

EDITOR’S NOTE: A copy of the letter sent to PUCO is attached to this release.