Dive Brief:
- Ohio regulators have approved FirstEnergy's proposal to end most of its efficiency programs after state lawmakers passed a law freezing the state's green standards, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
- Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) signed the law over the summer. FirstEnergy is the only utility in Ohio to request ending its programs.
- FirstEnergy said ending the programs, which include rebates and discounts on efficient appliances and lighting, will save customers money and helps the company in "aligning" with the state’s action on efficiency mandates.
Dive Insight:
Ohio's controversial decision to freeze state efficiency mandates for two years spurred FirstEnergy to file its request 12 days after the law was signed. At the end of the year the utility will end eight residential efficiency programs and six programs targeting businesses. Two residential programs will continue, along with one business program.
The Republican-sponsored and utility-backed law, signed in June by Kasich, freezes the state’s mandates for renewables and efficiency until 2017.
The Plain Dealer reports the commission's approval will also end programs for large industrial customers. The utility had signaled they would change its efficiency programs to allow industrial customers to opt out by the end of the year.
On its website, the company said "FirstEnergy’s Ohio utilities are amending their energy efficiency plan to reduce customers’ costs while aligning with the state’s recent action to freeze and evaluate energy efficiency mandates over a two-year period. As part of the amended plan, a number of energy efficiency programs will be suspended on December 31, 2014."
