OH: AEP strikes deal on smart grid, DG deployment, TOU rates

Share

On February 1, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) approved an agreement relating to AEP’s application to implement Phase 2 of its gridSMART Project. Key provisions of the approved agreement include:

  • AEP will work with a third party to quantify the operational impacts of DG on its distribution system and identify additional changes needed for the distribution system to accommodate greater DG penetration.
  • Over the next four years, AEP will install 894,000 smart meters.
  • Over the next two years, AEP will develop a competitive retail electric supplier (CRES) AMI interval data portal to allow CRES providers to offer more strategic and competitive TOU options and programs. AEP will also provide a customer web portal that displays the customer’s AMI interval usage data on a next-day basis.
  • AEP will work with CRES and PUCO staff to implement a time-of-use (TOU) transition plan.
  • AEP will propose a simple, two-tier, non-technology TOU rate for AMI customers to be used if the CRES TOU market has, in PUCO’s judgment, not evolved to be sufficiently competitive.
  • AEP will provide residential and small business customers access to a “Green Button” download.