OCC Annual Report 2023

Highlights

• The Ohio Consumers’ Counsel (OCC) Governing Board named Maureen Willis as the fifth Consumers’ Counsel, marking a new chapter in leadership after Consumers’ Counsel Bruce Weston retired. Angela O’Brien was appointed Deputy Consumers’ Counsel and serves as OCC’s Legal Director.
   
• OCC served as the tireless voice for millions of Ohio residential utility consumers, calling for consumer protections in more than 115 cases before the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the Ohio Supreme Court, the Federal Trade Commission, and the United States Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.
   
• On the advice of the Governing Board in 2023, OCC asked for $700,000 and received $500,000 in increased funding for the next two years. That was a step toward restoring OCC funding to previous levels.
   
• The Consumers’ Counsel filed a complaint at FERC calling for regulation of billions of dollars in supplemental transmission project costs that now escape any state and federal reviews for necessity and prudence.
   
• Partnering with other advocates, OCC continued its work to end the lingering coal power plant subsidies still in place from tainted House Bill 6 (HB 6). 
   
• After a partial win at FERC, OCC asked the US Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals to protect consumers by eliminating add on profits to transmission rates paid by Ohio utility consumers.
   
• Along with other consumer advocates, OCC successfully advocated for a 30-day suspension of disconnection from utility service when Ohioans have begun the application process for utility bill-payment assistance.
   
• The Agency submitted testimony on behalf of consumers before the General Assembly on 10 separate occasions in response to legislative proposals affecting Ohio utility consumers.
   
• OCC filed at the PUCO asking for a halt to certain FirstEnergy rate increase requests until four stalled FirstEnergy investigations are resumed. These investigations, initiated largely in response to OCC’s requests, were on hold for 18 months but have recently been restarted.
   
• Outreach & Education staff helped educate consumers on a variety of utility topics at a total of 780 virtual and in-person events.
   
• The Operations team implemented a new cost-effective and user-friendly network file storage system with improved security, collaboration features, storage capacity and file sharing capabilities.