FirstEnergy’s latest Ohio rate case has drawn 22 requests for formal party status, including five environmental and clean-energy advocacy organizations, as groups seek a role in shaping the utility’s proposal and its grid-investment priorities.
The company filed in May to raise rates across its three Ohio utilities. Beginning in July 2027, it proposes increasing the distribution portion of customer bills. Under the plan, households would pay about $5 more monthly in each of three years, reaching roughly $15 more per month by mid-2029, according to the report. Generation costs are outside this case because Ohio’s competitive market sets those prices.
Advocates want FirstEnergy to direct ratepayer money toward more equitable service and reliability. The Ohio Environmental Council cites a 2025 Interstate Renewable Energy Council analysis, commissioned by the council, finding that customers in disadvantaged census tracts are twice as likely as others to have low-voltage circuits and older equipment. Nolan Rutschilling, the council’s managing director of energy policy, said such communities face risks from power surges or disconnection. The groups also warn that weaker infrastructure can complicate rooftop and community solar connections and net metering.
Other proposals include aid for low-income efficiency upgrades, residential demand response and time-variable rates. Vote Solar’s Will Kenworthy described the grid as part of broader decarbonization goals. Robert Kelter of the Environmental Law and Policy Institute said delivery-side savings should be explored.
FirstEnergy’s Abigail Phillips said the company is prioritizing reliability and must balance which issues fit in the case. Lakewood, an intervenor, has complained about outages. PUCO staff recommendations are due Nov. 30; intervenors may respond before year-end, and an evidentiary hearing is scheduled for March.