The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio has ordered FirstEnergy to reduce its base electricity rates by nearly $40 million per year less than initially expected over the next few years.
State utility regulators on Wednesday overruled their prior decision to allow FirstEnergy to charge customers $49 million per year over the next five years to cover storm-related expenses, calling it "overly burdensome" to ratepayers.
Instead, the Akron-based utility can only charge $9.8 million per year for the next 25 years. FirstEnergy customers will pay nearly $40 million less annually over the next few years, as state utility regulators ruled Wednesday that the Akron-based utility can only collect $245 million for storm-repair costs over a far greater period of time. As, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio agreed with FirstEnergy’s critics that the initial plan to have customers pay $49 million per year for the next five years was “overly burdensome for customers.” Instead, ratepayers will pay off the costs over a 25-year period. Customers of the Illuminating Company and Ohio Edison will still start paying higher base rates as of March 1 ; Toledo Edison customers will see their rates decrease.Congress is weighing legislation that would impose strict new proof-of-citizenship requirements to vote, a measure critics warn could prevent millions of eligible Americans from casting ballots, including women who changed their names after marriage,passed the U.S. House of Representatives last week in a mostly party-line 218-213 vote. It had support from all Ohio Republicans, who regarded its requirements as commonsense election security, and opposition from Ohio Democrats who condemned it as thinly disguised voter suppression.An Ohio House bill would allow graduated penalties against developers and deployers of artificial intelligence models that encourage people to harm themselves or others. The civil court penalty would be $50,000, but the Ohio attorney general could drop an investigation in a company agrees to cease and desist about the harm of their chatbots when someone is experiencing a crisis.that President Donald Trump doesn’t want a patchwork of state laws that vary on the issue, but Congress hasn’t passed any legislation yet, so states are working on their own bills.Ohio billionaire Les Wexner testified before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on Wednesday, calling disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein a “world-class con man” and firmly denying any knowledge of or involvement in Epstein’s criminal activity,Wexner, 88, the Columbus-area founder of L Brands and one of Ohio’s wealthiest residents, was subpoenaed by the committee to appear after a bipartisan vote last month. Members of the committee met privately with Wexner in New Albany, where he resides.Democrats on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform emerged from Wexner’s New Albany estate Wednesday to express skepticism that the Ohio billionaire was telling them the whole truth during his committee deposition,. Top committee Democrat Robert Garcia of California told reporters during a break in the hearing that he believes Wexner provided Epstein with roughly $1 billion in financial support that enabled Epstein’s sex trafficking operation — and that he knows more than he is letting on. “There would be no Epstein Island,” Garcia said. “There’d be no Epstein plane. There’d be no money to traffic women and girls.. Republican House Speaker Matt Huffman, from Lima, told reporters on Wednesday that the changes signed into law last December required months of negotiations, multiple amendments and a veto override. Trying to do that all over again before the end of June is, in Huffman’s opinion, not “a practical legislative accomplishment.”Lawmakers spent much of 2025 trying to respond to concerns over spiking property tax bills. Intense negotiating between the legislature and Gov. Mike DeWine culminated in a $3 billion package of property tax reforms was signed into law and is set to become effective in March. Test your knowledge on the issue withA former FirstEnergy executive testified Wednesday that decisions by former Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Chairman Sam Randazzo helped the Akron-based utility avoid an estimated $150 million “haircut” to its annual revenue and reap roughly $79 million in additional profits over two years,. Testimony from Eileen Mikkelsen, a former FirstEnergy VP of rates and regulatory affairs, marked the first time during the bribery trial of former CEO Chuck Jones and former senior vice president Michael Dowling that jurors heard specific dollar estimates tied to Randazzo’s actions. The two men are accused of paying Randazzo $4.3 million shortly before he was appointed to lead the PUCO.On the heels of Republican state treasurer candidate Jay Edwards landing an endorsement from Vice President JD Vance, the former state lawmaker from Athens County will now be U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno’s guest at President Donald Trump’s annual State of the Union address next Tuesday, according to a release. Edwards is running for treasurer against state Sen. Kristina Roegner of Hudson in what’s expected to be the most competitive statewide GOP primary race this year.1. Besides her 2024 legislative salary of $77,848.92, King – whose middle name is Nadine – received somewhere between $10,000 and $24,999 each from ANK Farms LLC and ANK Investment Properties LLC. She also made somewhere between $1,000 and $9,999 each from her real-estate firm , King Properties & Investments, LLC, working an administration job for her husband’s construction firm, and Citizens Bank in interest payments. 2. Along with several retirement accounts and a revocable trust with her husband, King held more than $1,000 of stock in Digital World Acquisition Corp., a shell company that3. At some point in 2024, King owed at least $1,000 to Park National Bank, Citizens National Bank, and Dynamic Federal Credit Union. 4. King was reimbursed nearly $592 in 2024 for lodging to attend the WallBuilders’ Pro-Family Legislators Conference in Irving, Texas. 5. She didn’t report receiving any gifts worth more than $75 in 2024. Lawmakers aren’t required to disclose gifts from a variety of close family members.of the America First Policy Institute, a conservative think tank set up by former Trump administration staffers. Ricketts, the chair of the Pickaway County Republican Party, previously served as the Ohio House GOP’s policy adviser under then-House Speaker Jason Stephens. Brian Poindexter, a Democratic candidate for Ohio’s 7th Congressional District, has been endorsed by the Ohio AFL-CIO, Iron Workers International, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, International Longshoremen’s Association, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 6, Heating and Frost Insulators Local #3, the Cleveland Port Council, and Ohio Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio, a Lakewood Democrat. The Warren County Republican Party has endorsed Marcell Strbich for Ohio secretary of state and Steven Erbeck for Ohio’s 1st Congressional District.“Upon the passing of The Rev. Jesse Jackson, I’m reminded of a story. I ran into Jesse in an airport, and I told him I was working on a stealth plan at the Department of Defense. He looked at me and he said ‘We don’t need a stealth plan. We need a health plan.’ That’s vintage Jesse Jackson. God, bless him, and may he rest in peace.” Capitol Letter is a daily briefing providing succinct, timely information for those who care deeply about the decisions made by state government.Jeremy Pelzer has worked in the Columbus bureau of cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer since 2013. Prior to that, Pelzer worked for Gongwer News Service in Ohio and covered government and politics in Illinois,...
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