October 22, 2026

Ohio’s Bills Are Too Damn High.

Open your electric bill lately? If you felt a jolt that had nothing to do with your appliances, you’re not alone. Across Ohio, families, small business owners, and seniors on fixed incomes are watching their energy bills climb month after month. And it’s not because Ohioans are using more power. It’s because the system meant to serve the people is broken.

Here’s what’s really going on, and what it will take to fix it.

We don’t have enough power, and Ohio law is making it worse

Ohio is facing a real supply problem. Electricity demand is going up fast, driven in large part by massive new data centers that are plugging into our grid. At the same time, our energy supply isn’t keeping pace.

The answer should be simple: build more clean, affordable energy as quickly as possible. But Ohio lawmakers are doing the opposite. Thanks to restrictions passed at the statehouse, 38 counties across the state have effectively closed their doors to new wind and solar projects by passing blanket bans on clean energy across their jurisdiction. That’s 38 counties where communities don’t have even the chance to weigh in on responsible clean energy development that could bring down costs across the state and investment in their own community.

Ohioans deserve the right to decide if energy projects are a fit for their community, instead of blanket bans preventing opportunities for clean energy and tax dollars.

Lawmakers keep reaching for one tool: natural gas

Instead of opening the door to more options, Ohio’s lawmakers have mostly settled on a single strategy: build more natural gas plants. That might sound like a fix, but relying on one solution for a complicated problem is exactly how we got here in the first place. Gas prices are volatile, and sensitive to national and international supply chain issues.

Ohio needs an approach that will drive down costs, including:

Community energy, so renters and homeowners who can’t install their own solar panels can still subscribe to clean, affordable power build in their communities.

Demand response programs, so Ohioans get paid for helping reduce strain on the grid during peak hours, instead of everyone footing the bill for new infrastructure.

Data centers paying their own way, so the companies driving up demand cover the cost of the infrastructure they require, instead of passing those costs on to everyday ratepayers.

The PUCO isn’t holding utilities accountable

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, or PUCO, exists to do one job: make sure utility companies, who have a regulated monopoly over the power grid, use our money responsibly and keep our power reliable and affordable. That’s the deal.

For too long, the PUCO hasn’t held up its end. Utilities keep raising rates and posting bigger profits, while the commission tasked with watching out for Ohioans has let it slide with little pushback and even less accountability.

Lawmakers left for summer break without any real solutions

While Ohioans keep opening bills that are harder to pay, the Ohio legislature packed up for summer recess without tackling the energy cost crisis head-on. That’s not acceptable. Lawmakers cannot let this year slip by without action. When they return, we must ensure that they:

Regulate data centers so they pay for their own impact on the grid.

Allow a community energy pilot program so more Ohioans can access affordable clean power.

Let customers be compensated for participating in demand response programs.

These aren’t radical ideas. They’re common-sense fixes that other states have already put in place. Ohio is falling behind.

The bottom line

While Ohio families struggle to keep up, utility profits keep climbing, and disconnections keep increasing right along with them. From June 2025 to May 2026, over 340,000 Ohio households had their electric shut off for not being able to pay their bills. That’s an average of 7.7% of all Ohio electric customers. That’s not a coincidence. That’s a system that isn’t working for the people it’s supposed to serve.

Ohioans shouldn’t have to choose between keeping the lights on and paying for groceries so that a handful of massive data centers and utility shareholders can keep cashing in.

Enough is enough. Our bills are too damn high, and it’s time for Ohio’s leaders to act.