April, 2020
POLICY UPDATES
S tate Legislature

Ohioans should breath a sigh of relief – the General Assembly is in recess and is not passing new legislation.

Speaker Householder has convened a bi-partisan group of House members to discuss the future after COVID-19, focusing on restarting the economy after the emergency restrictions are removed. No word on any initiatives from the group. At this point, there is no similar group in the Senate, which only has 33 members anyway.
COVID-19 3rd Supplemental

The COVID-19 3 rd Supplemental provided an additional $900 million for HEAP and $1 billion for CSBG. This is all good. Congress is now feuding over a 4 th and 5 th supplemental.

REGULATORY UPDATES
AEP Ohio Base Rate Proceedings

The Company took the first step in what will be a long base rate proceeding, filing a motion to establish a test-year and waiving certain filing requirements. A base rate case is the traditional approach to ratemaking; at its most simplistic, this means you add up all the costs of providing distribution service and divide by the sales. This gives you a rate. There are lots of details that make this a pretty complex problem.

OPAE Negotiating Dayton Power & Light Smart Grid Settlement

OPAE is currently in negotiations with the Company on a settlement of its smart grid proposal. DP&L proposes to spend around $800 million on Phase I of a three-part implementation plan. Phase I includes Distribution Automation and wires upgrades; Volt Var Optimization, which stabilizes voltage and saves energy; smart meters; and, new billing and communications systems to pull it all together.

Dominion Files Tariffs

Dominion filed tariffs late last week to move residential and small business customers served at the Monthly Variable Rate (MVR) to the Standard Choice Offer (SCO). MVR prices are as high as $9.25/Mcf. This month’s SCO is $2.04/Mcf. That’s why OPAE spent so much time fighting this issue.
OCC proposes eliminating efficiency programs offered by Columbia Gas & Vectren

Columbia has requested to adjust the funding rider for its DSM proposal. Vectren has asked for approval of its voluntary DSM portfolio for 2021-2023. Two different cases, but a common problem: the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel (OCC) proposes eliminating all efficiency programs offered by both companies, and transferring the low-income funds for WarmChoice and VWP I & II to fuel funds.

HANNAH REPORT: OPAE Blasts OCC Push to Divert Energy Efficiency Funds to Hurting Consumers
The following opinion editorial was published in the Ohio Hannah Report, April 7, 2020

Ohio Partners for Affordable Energy (OPAE) accused the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel (OCC) Tuesday of exploiting the coronavirus crisis to push its long-term goal of eliminating energy efficiency (EE) programs. Instead of saving Ohioans money, as the agency claims, OPAE says cutting EE actually would “kill jobs” and hurt consumers.

RESOURCES
Innovations in Energy
MEMBERS IN THE NEWS

  • Thank you IMPACT Community Action for your compassionate work in your communities: "Community organization helping laid-off families facing eviction pay rent, mortgage" READ MORE >>>

  • It's heartening to see all the good our members are delivering. "PICCA hosts drive-thru for fresh produce" READ MORE >>>

  • Thank you to Corporation for Ohio Appalachian Development and Ohio Weatherization Training Center (OWTC)Center (OWTC) for preparing this list of training resources. READ MORE >>>
Thank You Letters to Lancaster-Fairfield Community Action Agency