Utility regulation needs reform, including firing all PUCO members
I recently announced that all members of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) should be fired. It’s become clear that no one else running for governor is willing to do this.
We know the people of Ohio were fleeced on Gov. Mike Dewine’s watch, we know that Firstenergy Corp. admitted paying bribes to the person the governor put in charge of utility oversight. This is an outrage and the people of Ohio need a new government in Columbus – one focused on bringing Ohio a comeback, not pocketing our money.
It’s disappointing but not surprising that Gov. Dewine mocked the idea and Nan Whaley wouldn’t join my call to fire the commissioners. I’ll fire the entire commission, but that is just the first step. The people of Ohio lost faith in their elected leaders. Job one of Ohio’s next governor is to restore public trust.
This is not without precedent. In fact, the last Democratic governor to be reelected in the last century, Dick Celeste,pledged to fire the PUCO for malfeasance and corruption. Ohio law gives the governor power to remove PUCO members for things such as inefficiency, neglect of duty or malfeasance.
Beyond firing the PUCO, we need real reform when it comes to utility regulation. As Governor, I will make reforming the PUCO a top priority. Here’s what I propose:
h Replacing Ohio’s corrupt system of nominating
PUCO members with one that curbs utilities’ unrestrained influence and assures the appointment of competent, ethical commissioners;
h Restoring state budget cuts to the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel (OCC), the ratepayer watchdog that helps keep regulated utilities in check;
h Demanding that the PUCO adopt strict policies to promote transparency,integrity and accountability.
Finally, we need to return energy profits back to middle- and working-class families. Instead of raising energy bills to pay bribes to politicians in Columbus, I will return energy profits back to Ohio.
I will start an annual energy dividend of $500 to Ohio families earning less than $75,000 per year. I’ll pay for it by increasing the severance tax on energy companies, like they have in Oklahoma, North Dakota, Texas, Louisiana, and Montana.
Like other energy-producing states, Ohioans deserve to benefit from the wealth that Ohio’s natural resources create. My plan will cut Ohio’s poverty and lift up middle-class families, just like the Earned Income Tax Credit does.
Ohio families have been getting ripped off by oneparty rule in Columbus. It’s time for a change. We will never bring Ohio back until we fix the corrupted institutions in state government. I have a plan to do just that.
John Cranley was elected mayor of Cincinnati in 2013; during his time in office, Cincinnati’s population grew for the first time in 60 years. He spearheaded an effort to invest in solar energy, making the city a national leader in clean energy. He also holds a law degree from Harvard and co-founded the Ohio Innocence Project, which has used DNA technology to free dozens of wrongly convicted people.