Rep. Brennan Urges Honest Accounting of Data Center Growth, Utility Forecasts as Electric Bills Rise

COLUMBUS — State Rep. Sean Patrick Brennan (D-Parma) today is calling for a more candid and comprehensive assessment of the forces driving electric bill increases - including the rapid expansion of large, energy-intensive data centers and the way utilities forecast future demand.

“Data centers are a real and growing part of Ohio’s electric load,” said Rep. Brennan. “Ignoring that reality doesn’t help consumers. At the same time, neither does accepting unchecked forecasts that can lock families into higher bills for years to come.”

Rep. Brennan said the surge in high-demand facilities has added new pressure to the grid and should be accounted for transparently and accurately in utility planning. When projections tied to that growth are overstated - or insufficiently reviewed - the result can be excessive infrastructure spending and higher costs passed directly on to residential and small business customers.

“Forecasting matters,” continued Rep. Brennan. “When future demand is overestimated, Ohioans don’t just pay later - they pay now. That’s why independent review and accountability in the ratemaking process are so important.”

Rep. Brennan emphasized that careful scrutiny of load forecasts is not an anti-growth position. Ohio can continue to attract new investment, including data centers, while still protecting consumers from unnecessary or premature costs.

“We can welcome economic development and still insist on safeguards for ratepayers,” said Rep. Brennan. “That means making sure large new users of electricity are accurately reflected in forecasts and that regulators have the tools and transparency they need to ask tough questions before approving higher rates.”

Rep. Brennan is encouraged by bipartisan interest in reforms that would bring greater independence and sunlight to the forecasting process at the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, helping ensure electric bills remain affordable as Ohio’s economy evolves.

“Our responsibility is to Ohio families,” concluded Rep. Brennan. “Growth should not come at the expense of affordability - and it doesn’t have to, if we get the process right.”