Ohio Consumers' Counsel

The increase could mean AES Ohio electric customers have to foot a bill $40 higher a year.

Earlier this month, AEP Ohio announced plans for another rate increase that the company said will pay for reliability-focused improvements to the electric grid. Under the plan, rates will go up about $1.50 a month or an average annual increase of less than 1 percent.

But consumer advocates representing manufacturers and residential electric customers, and staff at a state regulatory agency are pushing back.

Consumer advocates asked for changes to a program meant to keep homes warm even when people can’t pay. But the Ohio Public Utilities Commission denied those requests in their meeting Wednesday.

Two of Ohio's Republican House of Representatives are sponsoring the effort to reform how the state appoints regulators to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.

Columbia Gas of Ohio is asking the Ohio Public Utilities Commission to approve nearly tripling the flat, monthly distribution charge 1.4 million customers pay before the cost of natural gas usage is added to the bill.

The utility bosses talked about their companies' priorities and if they can get help from the then-chair of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.

FirstEnergy will pay a $230 million fine in a plea deal with federal prosecutors in the federal investigation into the $1.6 billion bailout for Ohio’s two nuclear energy plants. But some argue state leaders have not done enough to prevent back room dealing that can lead to scandals like this.

The state's consumer watchdog is calling for the repeal of coal plant subsidies, which were approved in the controversial nuclear bailout, HB6. A bill now at the center of an alleged bribery scheme. The Ohio Consumers' Counsel office says the coal plant subsidies mean ratepayers are bearing the cost of inefficient plants.

An upcoming audit could reveal whether FirstEnergy improperly used ratepayer money to funnel millions of dollars to an alleged unlawful conspiracy to pass…