COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio has decided to end a long-standing practice of giving utility companies advance access to draft audits of their activities before the reports are made public.
Consumer advocates call it a “sea change” for transparency and accountability.
The commission voted this month to halt the practice, which critics have long argued allowed utilities to shape the outcome of audits by softening or removing unfavorable policy recommendations.
The Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel, the state’s utility watchdog, praised the move as a major step forward for transparency and accountability. Officials with the agency called the move a “sea change” in limiting backroom influence over reports that often determine whether utilities can win approval to collect fees from ratepayers.
The ruling means auditors will now release their findings directly to the commission without utility input, a shift that consumer advocates say will better protect Ohioans from excessive charges and ensure more independent oversight of utilities.
