Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to hold oral arguments on net metering rules

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) plans to hold oral arguments on administrative rules pertaining to net metering on Jan. 10, 2018 at the PUCO Offices in Columbus, Ohio.

Parties to the case that have filed for or against rehearing of PUCO’s Nov. 8 ruling will have the chance to make arguments before the Commission. The commissioners will have an opportunity to ask questions.

On Nov. 8, PUCO adopted updates to the Ohio Administrative Code that governs electric net metering, a billing arrangement that allows customers who own electric generation facilities, such as solar panels or wind turbines, to offset their need for electricity by producing their own.

Some renewable-energy businesses and environmental advocates objected to a modification that reduced the amount of credit a resident can earn for excess energy they sell back into the grid. Some utility companies expressed concern that the ruling allowed homeowners and businesses to install systems that produced more energy than they would reasonably need.

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 for or against rehearing.

The oral arguments will follow PUCO’s regularly scheduled voting session. They will be webcast live on the PUCO website. PUCO has not held this type of oral argument hearing since 2014 when American Electric Power requested profit guarantees for certain power plants.