AEP Ohio, five major data center companies commit more than $18 million to Ohio families
AEP Ohio and five major data center companies, including Meta, QTS, Amazon, SoftBank Energy, and Google, have committed over $18 million to help Ohio families pay their electric bills. This funding expands AEP Ohio's Neighbor to Neighbor program, which provides grants to eligible customers facing financial hardship. The initiative is noted as the first of its kind to involve data center companies contributing at this scale to a utility-wide assistance program.
AEP Ohio, in collaboration with five major data center companies operating in the state—Meta, QTS, Amazon, SoftBank Energy, and Google—has announced a commitment exceeding $18 million to assist Ohio families with their electric bills. The funding will bolster AEP Ohio's Neighbor to Neighbor program, which offers grants to eligible customers experiencing financial difficulties.
AEP Ohio President Marc Reitter emphasized the significant impact of this "first of its kind" collaboration, highlighting the data center industry's participation in a utility-wide assistance program. Meta leads the contributions with a $10 million pledge over five years, followed by QTS at $3 million over three years. Amazon is contributing $2.5 million in 2026, SoftBank Energy $1 million, and Google also committed $1 million, with half specifically allocated for energy-efficiency upgrades for low-income households. AEP Ohio will add an additional $1 million in 2026.
Administered by the nonprofit Dollar Energy Fund, this expanded initiative comes as data center development continues to surge across Ohio, drawing increased attention to the industry's substantial electricity demands and its broader impact on the state's power grid. Dollar Energy Fund CEO Chad Quinn underscored the unique scale of the data center community's involvement in this program.