Power / rates · OH · OH
Partially supported
Common reading; no one is quoted
Checked 12 September 2026
Treating Ohio's 85% data-center tariff as proof that residents cannot be affected by data-center-driven power costs.
What the evidence supports
The PUCO-approved AEP Ohio tariff allocates substantial underuse and cancellation risk to new loads over 25 MW. That is real protection against stranded distribution investment; it is not proof that generation, transmission or wholesale-market costs can never affect household bills. The 85% figure is also narrower than it sounds: under AEP's published formula the contract-capacity minimum is about 72.5% at 50 MW and 82.5% at 100 MW, and 85% of contract capacity is a cap reached only near 117 MW (a separate ratchet uses 85% of the highest billing demand in the prior 11 months). AEP also reports that 12,219 of its 17,861 MW of contracted data-center load was signed before the tariff took effect.
Still unknown
Whether generation, transmission, wholesale-market or pre-tariff contracts can affect household bills remains a separate question from this distribution-tariff arithmetic.
(DataCenterData calculation from AEP published formula: 15,000 kW plus 85% above 25,000 kW up to 75,000 kW; 57,500 kW plus 100% above 75,000 kW; capped at 85% of contract capacity.)
Evidence details
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Ohio Consumers' Counsel quick facts → Gov. record
Exact location https://occ.ohio.gov/factsheet/quick-facts-data-centers-ohio
What it supports OCC describes the 85% contracted-capacity payment term; it does not prove household bills cannot be affected.
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AEP Ohio Schedule DCT terms → Institution
Exact location https://www.aepohio.com/company/about/rates/data-center-tariff/
What it supports Published Schedule DCT minimum-demand formula. Arithmetic below is DataCenterData's, not an AEP quotation.
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AEP Ohio Updates PUCO on Data Center Load: Figures Show Tariff is Working (2026-02-13) → Institution
Exact location 'in addition to 12,219 MW of data center contracts signed before the tariff went into effect'; 'AEP Ohio now has 17,861 MW of contracted data center projects'
What it supports AEP reports contracted quantities, not current consumption.
Counterevidence
None recorded.
Next check
None recorded
History
Correction · 11 September 2026 · internal review
Record → Power / rates
Changed correction
From The PUCO-approved AEP Ohio tariff allocates substantial underuse and cancellation risk to new loads over 25 MW. That is real protection against stranded distribution investment; it is not proof that generation, transmission or wholesale-market costs can never affect household bills.
To Added how the 85% minimum-demand term works by contract size and AEP's count of pre-tariff contracted load. Verdict unchanged. The 72.5% and 82.5% shares are DataCenterData arithmetic from AEP's published formula (15,000 kW plus 85% above 25,000 kW up to 75,000 kW; 57,500 kW plus 100% above 75,000 kW; capped at 85% of contract capacity).
Why Added how the 85% minimum-demand term works by contract size and AEP's count of pre-tariff contracted load. Verdict unchanged. The 72.5% and 82.5% shares are DataCenterData arithmetic from AEP's published formula (15,000 kW plus 85% above 25,000 kW up to 75,000 kW; 57,500 kW plus 100% above 75,000 kW; capped at 85% of contract capacity).
Evidence Evidence →
Data + actions
Report an error → About intake, record none and claim aep-ratepayer-protection.