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Utilities To File Data Centered-Focused Default Service Proposal In "Due Course"; PUC Staff Unopposed To Application Of Recently Adjudicated SOS For Data Centers To More Utilities
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The FirstEnergy Ohio utilities reiterated that the utilities plan to file a proposal to address default service for data centers in "due course," and said that default service for data centers should not be addressed in a proceeding in which the FirstEnergy Ohio EDCs have proposed other tariff provisions for data centers
As first reported by ECM, the FirstEnergy Ohio EDCs have proposed, as part of a new data center tariff, that data centers must take service from a competitive retail supplier
However, when initially proposing such tariff, the FirstEnergy Ohio EDCs had said that the EDCs will file in the future another proposed tariff to govern the procurement of default service supplies for data centers whose retail provider defaults.
Meanwhile, various parties have sought to address default service for data centers at FirstEnergy Ohio in the current data center tariff proceeding
The FirstEnergy EDCs opposed addressing data center SSO at this time, and reiterated that the EDCs are, "preparing a separate application addressing SSO supply arrangements for data center customers
taking service under Schedule DCT [data center tariff] whose CRES provider defaults."
"The Commission should not
use the present tariff-approval proceeding to predetermine the outcome of that separate application
or to impose a particular SSO framework -- whether the AEP Ohio model, the IGS SOLR proposal,
or any other," the FirstEnergy EDCs said
"The question of how to procure default-service
generation for data center customers—including the allocation of procurement costs, notice
requirements, and competitive-bidding mechanisms -- involves a distinct set of generation-service and market-design issues that warrant their own proceeding. The Companies intend to file that
application in due course," the FirstEnergy EDCs said
The Environmental Law & Policy Center has suggested that, at the FirstEnergy Ohio EDCs, PUCO should adopt the framework for data center default service recently approved at AEP Ohio. Under this design, which requires advance notice from a data center to take the SSO, if a data center customer does not have a retail supplier, a separate SSO procurement will be held for such data center customer. However, if needed in the interim until such procurement can occur (such as due to a retail supplier default), AEP Ohio would serve the data center with supply from the PJM spot market until a data center SSO procurement is held (see full details here)
In comments, PUCO Staff said that Staff does not oppose the use of the AEP Ohio approach to data center SSO at the FirstEnergy Ohio EDCs, but deferred to PUCO's judgment about whether to address the data center SSO issue now, or in a separate proceeding
Case No. 26-0697-EL ATA
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August 28, 2026
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Copyright 2026 EnergyChoiceMatters.com
Reporting by Paul Ring • ring@energychoicematters.com
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