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PUCO Sets Process to Protect AEP Ohio Customers from Potential Data Center Energy Costs
On August 5, 2026 the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) issued a finding and order directing AEP Ohio to implement measures to protect other customers from potentially being impacted from data center customers’ effects on energy prices.
“We continue to implement safeguards to ensure that other customers are not impacted by costs to serve large loads like data centers,” observed PUCO Chair Jenifer French. “Ohio is fully committed to protecting customers from added costs related to data center buildout. Today’s action builds upon the PUCO’s efforts to create separate rate classes for data center customers, and the commitments under the Ratepayer Protection Pledge.”
Read more about data centers and electricity in Ohio
Data center customers will be required to provide AEP Ohio with 180-day notice of their intent to return to default service, known as the Standard Service Offer (SSO). Upon receiving notice, AEP Ohio will procure energy to serve the customer through separate stand-alone auctions or spot-market purchases, with the entirety of the cost assigned to the data center customer. This ensures that the costs to serve the data center customer do not impact other customers also on AEP Ohio’s default rate.
