In times of economic uncertainty, it’s hard to imagine anything more unnecessary and unjust than an electric distribution rate hike from a company that profited nearly $1 billion in 2024.
FirstEnergy’s proposal before the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, or PUCO, is nothing more than a corporate money grab at the expense of hardworking Ohioans.
We must fight back before it’s too late.
If the proposal is approved by PUCO, FirstEnergy customers would pay an additional $190 million per year.
This ask is audacious considering a PUCO-commissioned audit concluded that customers of Toledo Edison, the local subsidiary of FirstEnergy, should actually receive a decrease in their bills rather than an increase.
But even more audacious is to expect ratepayers to pick up the bill to help account for FirstEnergy’s corruption.
House Bill 6 is the largest bribery scandal in state history and at the time, experts concluded it was the largest open investigation of Statehouse corruption in the entire nation. FirstEnergy concocted an unconscionable bribery scheme and has had to face financial accountability ever since because of it.
That same company now thinks you should pick up the tab for its shameful actions. We must stand together and loudly say “enough is enough.”
The late civil rights activist and poet, Maya Angelou, famously said “when someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”
FirstEnergy has shown the public who it is.
It’s time to believe your suspicions and stand up against this unwarranted greed.
In reality, FirstEnergy is hardly struggling. The company reported $978 million in profits in 2024. This rate hike proposal isn’t about financial necessity. It’s about subsidizing FirstEnergy’s long track record of mismanagement and corruption.
Lucas County has worked tirelessly for decades to keep energy costs low through the Northwest Ohio Aggregation Coalition, ensuring fair rates for residents and businesses. We refuse to let FirstEnergy undermine these efforts for the sake of its bottom line.
The PUCO audit found that FirstEnergy’s revenue calculations were overstated by nearly $35 million and concluded that Toledo Edison’s revenue should be reduced by $27 million, which would cut the average consumer’s electric bill by $5.17.
That’s enough to cover the cost of a dozen eggs.
But instead of a fair rate reduction as suggested by the audit, FirstEnergy wants to reach into your pockets for more.
How can you fight back against this cash grab?
Show up to the public hearing on Monday at 6 p.m. in the commissioners’ chamber on the first floor of One Government Center. Let your voice be heard. Let’s unite with one collective voice and urge PUCO to reject this unjust, and frankly offensive, proposal.
If you cannot attend the meeting, you can submit written testimony to PUCO at http://bit.ly/24-0468-EL-AIR.
We need you in this fight. Help us send a strong message to PUCO. We should not reward criminals at the expense of hardworking residents. We should not reward greed. Lucas County residents deserve better.
Lisa A. Sobecki is president of the Lucas County Board of Commissioners and a former state representative.
First Published April 11, 2025, 4:00 a.m.
