Rep. Rader Applauds PUCO Decision Rejecting FirstEnergy's Attempt to Weaken Reliability Standards
COLUMBUS — State Rep. Tristan Rader (D-Lakewood) today applauded the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio's (PUCO) decision rejecting FirstEnergy's attempt to weaken electric reliability standards for customers served by Cleveland Electric Illuminating, Ohio Edison, and Toledo Edison.
The ruling comes after strong opposition from the Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel, the Ohio Environmental Council, PUCO staff, local governments, and residents across Northeast Ohio who spoke out against lowering expectations for electric service.
"This is a victory for our communities that refused to accept lower standards," said Rep. Rader. "I want to thank the City of Lakewood and so many other cities, local leaders, neighborhood advocates, and residents who raised their voices. Together, they made it clear that after paying hundreds of millions of dollars for grid modernization, Ohioans deserve better reliability, not lower expectations."
Over the past several years, FirstEnergy customers have paid substantial amounts through their electric bills to modernize the grid with the promise of fewer outages and faster restoration times. Instead of delivering on that promise, the company sought permission to make reliability standards easier to meet.
"The answer to frequent outages isn't moving the goalposts," continued Rep. Rader. "It's building the stronger, more reliable electric system customers have already paid for."
The PUCO agreed, finding that FirstEnergy's proposal would have created "more relaxed standards" rather than the improved performance envisioned when previous grid modernization investments were approved.
"This decision sends an important message: utilities must be held accountable for delivering the reliability they promised. Ohio families and businesses deserve an electric grid they can count on," concluded Rep. Rader.
Rep. Rader also thanked the Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel, the Ohio Environmental Council, and PUCO staff for their advocacy throughout the proceeding.