10/00: Allegheny Energy's (parent of Monongahela Power) restructuring plan was approved by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO). Competition and a 5-percent residential rate reduction begins January 1, 2001. Rates will be frozen through the development period, which is 2003 for large industrial consumers and 2005 for residential consumers.

10/00: American Electric Power's (parent company for Ohio Power and Columbus Southern Power) restructuring plan was approved by the PUCO. Retail competition begins January 1, 2001, with residential consumers receiving a 5-percent rate reduction. More than $600 million in transition costs will be collected through 2007 (for Ohio Power) and 2008 (for Columbus Southern Power). Certain residential customers will have transition charges waived. Also, rates will be frozen through the development period or 2005, whichever comes first. Shopping credits, incentives and switching procedures will be provided, and AEP agreed to absorb $40 million of customer education, customer choice implementation, and transition plan filing costs.

10/00: Dayton Power and Light's (DP&L) transition plan to begin retail competition for all customers by January 2001 was approved by the PUCO. Under the agreement, DP&L generation rates will be capped until the end of the recovery period when transition costs are fully recovered, December 31, 2003. Transmission and distribution rates will be capped through the end of 2006. The plan includes a 5-percent residential rate reduction to the generation portion for customers who remain with DP&L, beginning January 1, 2001. Additionally, DP&L will pay up to $1 million for a voluntary enrollment procedure if at least 20 percent of its customers have not chosen another supplier by September 30, 2003.

9/00: The PUCO approved the Cincinnati Gas & Electric (CG&E) restructuring plan. Retail electric choice will be offered beginning January 1, 2001. The price of electricity will be unbundled into its components (generation, transmission, distribution), and a rate cap will be in effect for five years for all residential customers. Additionally, residential customers who stay with their current supplier will receive a 5 percent rate reduction in the generation portion of their bill.

7/00: First Energy's (Ohio Edison, Toledo Edison, and The Illuminating Company) restructuring plan was approved by the PUCO. The plan calls for recovery of transition costs through 2006 for Ohio Edison, mid-2007 for Toledo Edison, and 2008 for Illuminating Company. Competition will begin January 1, 2001, and residential consumers will recieve a 5 percent rate reduction on the generation portion. Distribution rates will be frozen through 2007.

1/00: AEP (Ohio Power and Columbus Southern Power) filed its transition plan with the PUCO. The plan includes requested recovery of $974 million in regulatory assets.

1/00: Monongahela Power filed its transition plan with the PUCO. Included is a request for $13 million in stranded cost recovery.

1/00: Cincinnati Gas & Electric filed its transition plan with the PUCO. The plan includes: 5-percent residential rate reduction in the generation portion of rates, effective January 2001; rate unbundling into the generation, transmission, distribution, and transition costs components; recovery of $927 million in transition and stranded costs; corporate separation of regulated and unregulated functions; participation in the MidWest ISO; and a consumer education plan. The PUCO is to rule on the plan before Oct. 31, 2000.

1/00: Dayton Power & Light filed its transition plan with the PUCO. The plan includes a 5 percent residential rate reduction for generation; a cap on all prices through December 31, 2004; customer choice by January 1, 2001; recovery of $441 million in transition costs; and a consumer education program. The PUCO will issue comments and recommendations to the plan within 90 days, a final order within 275 days.

1/00: First Energy (Ohio Edison, The Illuminating Company, Toledo Edison) refiled a transition plan with the PUCO to conform with the new rules established to comply with Ohio's restructuring law. The plan includes: requested recovery of $7 billion for transition and stranded costs; operational and technical support changes to allow for retail direct access by January 1, 2001; plans to transfer control of transmission assets to the Alliance RTO; unbundled prices; corporate separation of regulated and unregulated business; and an education program for consumers.

1/02: The Ohio Consumers' Counsel released the first report card for Ohio's electric choice program. Overall, the OCC said electric customers were "better off than they were before electric choice." About 15 percent of eligible customers switched electric suppliers in 2001, mainly former customers of the three FirstEnergy companies. In Northern Ohio, 158 communities aggregated their load and chose an alternative supplier. The counsel recommended that the state work out a plan to attract more alternative suppliers in less competitive areas of the state; issue competitive bidding rules at the end of the transition period; develop more conservation and energy efficiency programs and policies; and implement a regional transmission organization. On the federal level, the counsel recommended monitoring mechanisms to curb market power and guaranteeing adequate wholesale power reserves.

1/01: Retail direct access to competitive electricity suppliers began on January 1, 2001, in the State. The first month saw about 97,622 customers in First Energy territories switch suppliers. Standard Offer Rates range from 3.6 to 4.9 cents/kWh in the three First Energy subsidiary territories of Toledo Edison, Ohio Edison, and Cleveland Illuminating.

FirstEnergy Corp. (Ohio Edison, Toledo Edison and Illuminating Company)

7/00: FirstEnergy reached a settlement on its restructuring plan. The plan calls for recovery of costs through 2006 for Ohio Edison, mid-2007 for Toledo Edison, and 2008 for Illuminating Company.

1/00: FirstEnergy (Ohio Edison, The Illuminating Company, Toledo Edison) refiled a transition plan with the PUCO to conform with the new rules established to comply with Ohio's restructuring law. The plan includes: requested recovery of $7 billion for transition and stranded costs; operational and technical support changes to allow for retail direct access by January 1, 2001; plans to transfer control of transmission assets to the Alliance RTO; unbundled prices; corporate separation of regulated and unregulated business; and an education program for consumers.

10/99: FirstEnergy filed a restructuring plan with the PUCO. The plan includes passing $6.9 billion to customers over 8 years, but says bills will not increase over this transition period. Three separate plans were filed for its subsidiary utilities: Ohio Edison, Illuminating Co., and Toledo Edison.

Allegheny Power (Monongahela Power)

7/00: Allegheny Energy reached a settlement on its transition plan. The plan calls for recovery of up to $6.3 million in stranded costs, 5 percent rate reductions for residential consumers, and a 3-year rate freeze for industrial and commercial consumers.

7/00: Monongahela Power reached a settlement on its restructuring plan. The plan will shorten the development period for competition for large customers to end December 31, 2003, and for small customers, December 31, 2005. Residential customers will receive a 5-percent rate reduction, and rates will then be frozen for the remainder of the developement period.

1/00: Monongahela Power filed its transition plan with the PUCO. Included is a request for $13 million in stranded cost recovery.

AEP (Ohio Power and Columbus Southern Power)

7/00: An agreement was reached on AEP's transition plan. Transition costs recovery will be limited through 2007 for Ohio Power consumers and 2008 for Southern Power consumers. Distribution rates will be frozen for the recovery period for residential consumers.

1/00: AEP (Ohio Power and Columbus Southern Power) filed its transition plan with the PUCO. The plan includes requested recovery of $974 million in regulatory assets.

6/02: The PUCO issued their first quarter "switching statistics," summaries of electric customer choice switch rates in terms of sales and customers, for 2002. In terms of customers, 52.58 percent of residential Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company customers switched to a certified retail electric supplier (CRES) while 18.36 percent of commercial and 24.34 percent of industrial customers switched. Toledo Edison Company had 45.84 percent of residential customers, 3.43 percent of commercial customers, and 20.66 percent of industrial customers switch to a CRES. Ohio Edison Company had 16.43 percent of residential customers, 8.54 percent of commercial customers, and 30.90 percent of industrial customers switch to a CRES. Cincinnati Gas and Electric Company, Columbus Southern Power Company, and Dayton Power and Light Company had less than 1 percent switch to a CRES. No Monongahela Power Company or Ohio Power Company customers are participating in the Ohio Electric Choice program.

6/02: According to a press release, Allegheny Energy Supply, a subsidiary of Allegheny Energy, Inc., sold "approximately 45,000 residential and commercial accounts in FirstEnergy's northern Ohio service territory" to Dominion Retail, Inc., a subsidiary of Dominion. Dominion Retail will replace Allegheny Energy Supply as the customers' certified retail electric supplier, but customers "will continue to receive one bill from their local utility."

9/01: The PUCO adopted rules for local government aggregation of electricity customers. Under Ohio's restructuring legislation passed in July 1999, local governments could serve as an aggregator for electricity customers. The new rules focus on three issues: Cooperation of the utilities in providing lists of the customers in the local government's jurisdiction, forming programs for customers to "opt-out" of the aggregation, and the requirments for providing customers with written notices of inclusion in the aggregation unless the customer specifically "opts-out."

12/00: Beginning January 1, 2001, Ohio residential, commercial, and industrial consumers will have access to retail markets for electricity. Consumer education programs are available on the Ohio Electric Choice web site, through mass mailing by the PUCO, and by telephone.

7/99: Restructuring legislation enacted in July 1999, makes the PUCO responsible for settling stranded costs issues.

FERC and SEC approved the merger of Ohio Edison and Centerior (Toledo Edison and Cleveland Illuminating) to form First Energy, which began operations in November 1997.

In December 1997, AEP and CSW proposed a merger. This merger would make AEP the largest supplier of electricity in the U.S. Approval by stakeholders and regulators, and likely the Dept. of Justice and Federal Trade Commission, is required.