View source for Public Utilities Commission of Ohio

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2013}}
The '''Public Utilities Commission of Ohio''' ('''PUCO''') is the [[public utilities commission]] of the [[U.S. state]] of [[Ohio]], charged with the regulation of utility service providers such as those of electricity, [[natural gas]], and [[telecommunications]] as well as railroad safety and intrastate [[Dangerous goods|hazardous materials]] transport.

== Background ==

=== Responsibilities ===
The Commission is responsible for:<ref>[http://www.puco.ohio.gov/PUCO/About/index.cfm?navitem=leftsidebar PUCO website]</ref>
*[[Enforcement]] of laws against service deemed unfair or unsafe
*Hearing disputes between utilities and residential, business, and industrial customers, as well as between competing utilities.
*Assuring availability of residential, business, and industrial utility services
*Providing consumers with relevant information about their rights and responsibilities
*Regulating rates for utility services in which there is little to no competition (i.e. electricity and natural gas services)
*Periodically creating and changing Ohio Administrative Code that is related to its mission
*Acting in some manner to relate the relevant Administrative Code to the regulated and deregulated commercial utility activity

Following the move toward deregulation of retail energy during the 1990s, the Ohio legislature set forth provisions for allowing competitive retail energy suppliers, in addition to the main distribution utility companies.

In January 2018, PUCO launched an investigation to make sure benefits from the recently passed [[Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017|federal tax bill]] flow back to customers.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cantonrep.com/news/20180119/puco-to-utilities-share-tax-breaks-with-consumers|title=PUCO to utilities: Share tax breaks with consumers|last=Gearino|first=Dan|work=The Repository|access-date=2018-02-06|language=en}}</ref>

=== EPA Clean Power Plan ===
In February 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a [[Stay of proceedings|stay]] of the [[United States Environmental Protection Agency|U.S. Environmental Protection Agency]]'s "[[Clean Power Plan]]" pending judicial review. The plan is a federal program with the goal of decreasing [[Greenhouse gas|carbon emissions]] from power plants. To meet its goal, the EPA created targets for reducing carbon dioxide, with the levels varying state to state. Each state must develop its own plan to meet the EPA targets, which begin in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|title=U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan – 111(d) Rules|url=http://www.epa.ohio.gov/dapc/111drule.aspx|access-date=2016-07-20|website=www.epa.ohio.gov}}</ref>

PUCO has [[Lawsuit|litigated]] against the Clean Power Plan on the grounds that it violates the Federal Power Act and violates [[states' rights]]. Despite the state's opposition to the plan, PUCO said that Ohio is prepared to plan for implementation of new rules and regulations in the event that the plan survives legal challenges (PUCO's Division of Air Pollution Control is responsible for the implementation). PUCO's chairman, Asim Haque, said that the commission analyzed how much the Clean Power Plan would cost Ohio consumers and that "we believe those costs to be hefty."<ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-06-13|title=PUCO chief says state in good position if Clean Power Plan stay lifted - Daily Energy Insider|url=https://dailyenergyinsider.com/featured/875-ohio-puc-chief-says-state-good-position-clean-power-plan-stay-lifted/|access-date=2016-07-20|language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Net metering policy ===
On November 8, 2017, PUCO adopted rules that affected [[net metering]] policy. Net metering is the process by which solar homes or businesses sell back to the grid any excess energy they produce.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|date=2017-12-28|title=Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to hold oral arguments on net metering rules|language=en-US|work=Daily Energy Insider|url=https://dailyenergyinsider.com/news/9829-public-utilities-commission-ohio-hold-oral-arguments-net-metering-rules/|access-date=2018-01-05}}</ref>

Ohio Consumers’ Counsel, Interstate Gas Supply, Environment Law & Policy Center, [[Ohio Environmental Council]], Environmental Defense Fund, Natural Resources Defense Council, Vote Solar, One Energy, FirstEnergy, AEP Ohio, and The Dayton Power and Light Company filed petitions either for a rehearing or against one. PUCO decided to have a rehearing on January 10, 2018.<ref name=":1" />

==Commissioners==
There are five [[commissioners]] (one of whom serves as chairman) as well as approximately 320 agency employees. Each commissioner is appointed by the residing governor to a five-year term. Current commissioners, and their original appointers, are:
* Jenifer A. French, Chair ([[Mike DeWine|DeWine]]), through April 2024
* Daniel R. Conway ([[John Kasich|Kasich]]), through April 2022
* Dennis P. Deters ([[Mike DeWine|DeWine]]), through April 2026
* Lawrence K. Friedeman ([[John Kasich|Kasich]]), through April 2025
* John D. Williams ([[Mike DeWine|DeWine]]), through April 2028

==Notes==
<references/>

==External links==
*[https://www.puco.ohio.gov/ Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO)]
*[https://puco.ohio.gov/about-us/commissioner-bios/commissioner-bios/ Commissioner biographies] 
*[https://www.puco.ohio.gov/puco/ApplesToApples/index.cfm?navitem=leftsidebar/ Apples to Apples Natural Gas and Electric Rate Comparison Charts] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070310225406/http://www.puco.ohio.gov/puco/ApplesToApples/index.cfm?navitem=leftsidebar%2F |date=March 10, 2007 }}
*[https://www.puc.state.oh.us/secure/PicForm/index.cfm?navitem=righttop/ File an informal complaint with the PUCO] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120205081925/https://www.puc.state.oh.us/secure/PicForm/index.cfm?navitem=righttop%2F |date=February 5, 2012 }}
*[https://www.puco.ohio.gov/puco/forms/form.cfm?doc_id=1727/ File a formal complaint with the PUCO] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070310225332/http://www.puco.ohio.gov/puco/forms/form.cfm?doc_id=1727%2F |date=March 10, 2007 }}
*[https://www.puco.ohio.gov/gis/pucomaps.cfm?navitem=leftsidebar/ Ohio Utility Maps]
*[https://www.puco.ohio.gov/pucogis/address/search.cfm Utility Information by Street Address]

{{Ohio state agencies}}

{{Public utilities commissions}}

{{authority control}}

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[[Category:Government of Ohio]]
[[Category:Public utilities commissions of the United States|Ohio]]