The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio decided Wednesday that AEP Ohio can adjust its electric rates.
The state body that oversees utilities is allowing AEP Ohio to boost its base distribution revenues by $11 million, which is less than the $97 million that the company originally requested.
AEP Ohio will also set a minimum monthly customer charge for new data center customers. That comes on top of an existing data center tariff meant to make data centers pay for the electric costs they impose on the grid.
Community activists have fought against the changes that they say constitute a rate hike, submitting 2,500 petition signatures to the PUCO earlier this year. Columbus City Schools and Columbus City Council also opposed the rate changes.
AEP Ohio has said that the rate change will decrease bills by more than $1 a month for average customers. The Ohio Consumer's Council reports that the utility provider is using $82 million already owed back to customers to lower those bills.
In a news release, PUCO did not make it clear how AEP Ohio's customers would ultimately be impacted. But the Ohio Consumers' Counsel said in a statement that the $35 million shortfall AEP Ohio sought to defer and collect from consumers later will not appear as higher rates or a new rider on monthly bills.
The PUCO said that AEP Ohio will return around $105 million to customers over 18 months because of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. PUCO said that will result in a $58.7 million revenue decrease for AEP Ohio.
When AEP initially sought rate increases, the company said in a statement that those would cover the costs of equipment including power poles, lines and transformers, and pay the salaries of the line workers.
