COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The Ohio Supreme Court has rejected an
appeal seeking $368 million in refunds for American Electric Power
customers.
In a 5-2 decision Thursday, the high court said the
Ohio Consumers’ Counsel, which represents utility ratepayers, and
Industrial Energy Users-Ohio failed to show state utility regulators
erred in denying the refunds.
AEP and its operating companies
collected the money from April 2009 to May 2011 to help compensate for
certain risks associated with being a "provider of last resort."
Regulators
at the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio ordered AEP in October 2011
to remove such charges from future bills and to refund the charges it
had collected between June and October of that year.
Justices said Ohio case law doesn’t require AEP to refund the $368 million it had collected earlier.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights
reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
redistributed.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The Ohio Supreme Court has rejected an
appeal seeking $368 million in refunds for American Electric Power
customers.
In a 5-2 decision Thursday, the high court said the
Ohio Consumers’ Counsel, which represents utility ratepayers, and
Industrial Energy Users-Ohio failed to show state utility regulators
erred in denying the refunds.
AEP and its operating companies
collected the money from April 2009 to May 2011 to help compensate for
certain risks associated with being a "provider of last resort."
Regulators
at the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio ordered AEP in October 2011
to remove such charges from future bills and to refund the charges it
had collected between June and October of that year.
Justices said Ohio case law doesn’t require AEP to refund the $368 million it had collected earlier.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights
reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
redistributed.