Don't be fooled. Know the facts about FirstEnergy's Bailout Plan.
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Monday September 26, 2016

Autumn has officially begun – but is there a new season upon us at the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO)? TBD. All signs point to a decision on FirstEnergy’s multiple multi-billion-dollar requests arriving this or next Wednesday.

For more info on why none of the subsidies make sense, check out Dick Munson’s recent letter to the editor in the Toledo Blade: Regulators must nix FirstEnergy request.

And ICYMI, the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel and the Northwest Ohio Aggregation Coalition are suing the Ohio Supreme Court over the deals. They contend FirstEnergy’s efforts undermine the competitive market, and that the utility must file a new application with the PUCO. If the commissioners do decide to grant FirstEnergy’s wishes, this suit could halt them in their tracks.

You can always visit EDF’s FirstEnergy website for our newsletter archive and links to the latest news about FirstEnergy’s bailout.

 
 

Who Will Do the Energy Efficiency Legwork? “Not I,” said FirstEnergy

FirstEnergy wants the benefits of clean energy, without the pesky up-front effort and investment.

According to a new article from Midwest Energy News, FirstEnergy has a new energy efficiency plan before the PUCO (yes…another terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad request). The proposal “could let the company take credit for work done by others and make millions of dollars as a result — at customers’ expense.”

Here’s how it would work: FirstEnergy would profit (by collecting “shared-savings incentives”) on efficiency projects it didn’t create or wasn’t even involved with – but are in its service territory. This is due to legal provisions that reward utilities for going beyond what the efficiency standard required. Oh, and FirstEnergy’s customers would have to pay the taxes on these profits.

Trish Demeter of the Ohio Environmental Council likened the situation to ‘The Little Red Hen,’ a children’s folk tale in which no one will help the hen make bread, but everybody wants to eat it once it’s ready. In this version, FirstEnergy plays the role of the “lazy dog.”

 
 

(Almost) All Aboard the Clean Energy Train

In today’s political climate, we feel anything that unites people from both sides of the aisle is deserving of a party. According to a new poll from the Ohio Conservative Energy Forum, the next shindig should honor clean energy.

That’s because the majority of Ohio GOP voters are not only on board with energy efficiency and customer choice, they support renewable energy policies. Their preferred energy resources are natural gas and energy efficiency, and they want solar over coal. Nearly 50 percent even said they would pay more each month for more renewable power. Meanwhile, 79 percent oppose surcharges to prop up old power plants that are unable to compete well.

So now that we’ve got some consensus, who’s not invited to the party? Utilities that insist on fighting clean energy progress while trying to keep outdated, dirty power plants afloat. For an example of such a utility, see items above and below, and every other newsletter we’ve produced.

 
 

Quote of the Week: Money for Nothin’ – and Profits for Free

In a recent (excellent) editorial, the Cleveland Plain Dealer argues FirstEnergy “cannot and should not get something for nothing from its Ohio ratepayers.”

The piece lays out the situation in Ohio in clear terms, explaining the evolution of the bailout and the reasons the PUCO should not approve FirstEnergy’s requests. The whole editorial is worth reading, but our favorite line boils down the whole mess into one succinct argument:

  • “It's not the responsibility of Ohio ratepayers to insulate FirstEnergy's stockholders.”
 
 

One Last Thing…

Happy 30th edition of this newsletter! Although the ongoing saga and relentlessness of FirstEnergy are hardly cause for celebration, we wanted to say thanks for sticking it out with us.

And if the PUCO rubber-stamps a version of FirstEnergy's requests, we hope you'll join us on the journey to the Ohio Supreme Court and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.