Regulators have approved most of FirstEnergy’s energy efficiency proposal when they modified and approved the company’s latest rider plan on May 15. This would have seen FirstEnergy offer energy efficiency programs to most residential ratepayers after 2019, when lawmakers passed House Bill 6, which gutted the state’s energy efficient and renewable energy standards. The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio mostly rejected the proposal, approving education programs and financial incentives for low-income customers. However, the order concluded that HB 6 does not prohibit utilities from voluntarily offering such programs, a reversal from its position in a 2020 Duke Energy case. New documents reveal more information about money flowing from FirstEnergy to dark money groups supporting Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman. State criminal cases against two former FirstEnergy executives are moving ahead, and government briefs are expected soon in the federal court appeals for former Ohio House speaker Larry Householder and lobbyist Matt Borges.
Solar Dominates US Energy Capacity Growth
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has published data showing that solar accounted for over 75% of US electrical generating
