PUCO Staff Confirms AEP Overstated Load Forecasts; Data Center Growth "Double Counted"
News ClipScioto Post·Ashville, Pickaway County, OH·3/17/2026
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) staff has confirmed that AEP Ohio significantly overstated its electricity load forecasts by double-counting projected data center growth. This inflation of figures may have been used to create a false sense of urgency for infrastructure projects. AEP has agreed to adjust its rates and forecasts.
electricitygovernment
Gov: Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, PUCO
COLUMBUS, OH — A new report from the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) staff has sent shockwaves through the state’s energy sector, validating claims that AEP Ohio significantly inflated its electricity load forecasts by double-counting projected data center growth. The findings, released in a review of AEP’s proposed Basic Transmission Cost Rider (BTCR) rates, […]