SUPCO Blocks Duke From Passing Clean-Up Costs To Consumers

The Ohio Supreme Court has temporarily blocked Duke Energy from charging customers for pollution clean-up at its deactivated manufactured-gas plants. The court stayed a Public Utilities Commission of Ohio order allowing the company to pass the costs on to its customers over a five-year period. The stay was jointly requested by the Ohio Consumers' Counsel, the Ohio Manufacturers' Association, Cincinnati-based Kroger and advocates for energy consumers. The high court recently ruled Columbus-based American Electric Power collected 368 million dollars in unjustified charges from customers, but did not require a refund.