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COLUMBUS — “It’s unclear what form AEP’s suggested re-regulation mechanism would take. However, it’s likely such a move would garner significant criticism from industry competitors, as well as consumer advocates and others.
There have already been some attempts at political intervention.
For example, FERC dockets for both the AEP and FirstEnergy cases show that Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) placed telephone calls last week, urging commissioners to reject challengers’ complaints.
The Center for Responsive Politics reports that since 2011 individuals and PACs linked to the companies gave a total of $126,200 towards Manchin’s campaign. Those groups ranked in the top seven for Manchin’s contributors for that period.
Other efforts to boost the companies’ competitive position may already be underway in Ohio.
Last week Ohio Sen. Bill Seitz (R-Cincinnati) introduced S.B. 320, which contains language similar to an AEP request last year that would put financial pressure on customers to pick the utility as its electricity supplier or possibly forego net metering benefits for solar energy and have a much-longer payback time for their investment.
S.B. 320 also contains a variety of other terms that environmental groups have criticized as ‘giveaways’ for utilities.”
— Kathiann M Kowalski, Midwest Energy News
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