Cincinnati Bell - West 7th Street · Cincinnati Bell (Cincinnati, OH) · 25.4 mi
Power bills in Ohio
Ohio makes data centers pay for 85% of reserved power
Ohio regulators approved an AEP Ohio tariff requiring new data centers to pay for at least 85% of the power they reserve, even if they use less, for up to 12 years. The goal is to keep other customers from paying for grid upgrades built for them.
In PJM, the grid serving 13 states from Illinois to New Jersey, a record capacity auction pushed power costs up, with data centers named the main driver. Monthly bills were expected to rise more than 5%; in Columbus, Ohio, about $27 a month.
The US Energy Information Administration expects average home electricity prices to reach 18.2 cents per kWh in 2026, almost 5% higher than 2025, with demand from businesses including data centers a key reason. Some East Coast areas may see up to 7% a year.