oma v. puco -- aep ohio data center tariff challenge
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case overview
| Case | Ohio Manufacturers’ Association v. PUCO |
| Court | Ohio Supreme Court |
| Filed | Late 2025 |
| Parties | OMA and industrial customers v. PUCO; AEP Ohio as intervenor |
| Status | Active |
background
oma challenges puco’s approval of a data center tariff requiring large new data center customers to pay for 85% of subscribed electricity regardless of consumption, for up to 12 years. oma argues:
- improper gamesmanship: aep paused data center interconnections (choking off supply), initially claiming 30,000 mw of demand (later revised to ~5,700 mw), giving aep “undue bargaining power”
- discrimination: singling out one industry for special rate treatment
- frozen projects: aep ohio imposed substantial barriers to new data center interconnections in columbus beginning 2023, pausing new service and freezing 50+ proposed projects
aep argues the tariff ensures data centers “pay their fair share” for grid infrastructure.
sources
- ohio capital journal: oma challenge
- ohio capital journal: aep response
- power magazine: aep ohio tariff approved
last updated: february 22, 2026