Dive Summary:

• FirstEnergy could help Ohio customers save millions by implementing a robust energy efficiency plan but since 2008, when a law was passed requiring the utility to help customers save their kilowatt hours, the utility has dodged results-driven strategies and has lacked a line-up of effective programs, Greentech Media (GTM) reports.
• FirstEnergy has invested less in efficiency than smaller utilities, costing customers more than $400 million, GTM argues. In addition, FirstEnergy has leaned heavily on loopholes allowing the utility to count existing efficiency projects at large consumer facilities toward its goal. In turn, the “loophole savings” accounted for more than 50% of FirstEnergy’s total claimed savings, compared to 18% from American Electric Power, Dayton Power & Light and Duke.
• “FirstEnergy’s reliance on loophole savings between 2009 and 2012 displaced new energy efficiency projects that would have reduced customer energy bills $253 million over time -- instead raising customers’ energy bills by at least $115 million by offsetting new energy-efficiency projects,” GTM writes.

From the article:
“Electricity prices have fallen in Ohio by 1.4 percent since passing efficiency standards. But that's just a small portion of what could be realized if utilities offered up the full amount of energy efficiency on their books.”