Statement from the Ohio Environmental Council on PUCO’s PowerForward Plan

David Miller, August 29, 2018

Columbus, Ohio — On Wednesday, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio released its PowerForward policy document that provides guidance on how Ohio’s electric utilities should be investing in modernizing the electric grid. The document is a result of a three-phase workshop series that launched in March of 2017 and invited experts on topics such as electric vehicle integration, smart meters and thermostats, and how utility rates could be updated to better enable customer integration of distributed energy resources such as combined heat and power systems, energy storage, and rooftop solar systems.

The following statement can be attributed to Miranda Leppla, Clean Energy Attorney with the Ohio Environmental Council:

“The rise of future-minded Ohioans is driving tremendous innovation in the marketplace – from electric vehicles, to smart thermostats, to home battery systems that are charged up by your rooftop solar system, to smartphone apps that can control when your air conditioner runs. Businesses are springing up to innovate, but the question is, are Ohio’s utilities ready for the next step forward?

“The PUCO’s PowerForward policy document released today is an essential step in preparing both utilities and future state regulators by taking a close look at how costs will be covered, how to ensure fairness to consumers and to enable the choices they are making for their home or business. The commissioners and staff should be commended for looking forward to ensure our state is planning for these changes, and making sure Ohio isn’t entrenched in antiquated ways of approaching how we generate, distribute, and use electricity.”

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