COLUMBUS, Ohio — A controversial data center tariff proposed by AES Ohio could leave local manufacturers, small businesses, and residential ratepayers on the hook for more than $1.3 billion in electrical grid upgrades, according to a stunning new expert analysis.
The report, filed on behalf of the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association Energy Group (OMAEG), claims that despite being marketed as a safeguard, the proposal is actually “customer protection in name only.” Instead, the policy would shield monopoly utilities and tech companies while shifting massive infrastructure bills onto everyday Ohioans.
The Stark Math Behind the Cost Shift
The core of the dispute rests on just two massive data center projects slated for the AES Ohio service territory. According to the expert testimony, the upfront infrastructure costs for these projects total $837.5 million.
Because utilities are permitted to recover these investments over decades with interest, that initial cost balloons into a $2.77 billion revenue requirement for AES Ohio over the next 40 years…