(COLUMBUS) - Ohio households could pay more than $800 for electricity between June and September as rising demand puts additional pressure on energy costs.
A new report from Washington-based think tank Third Way projects the average Ohio residential customer could spend about $800 on electricity this summer -- roughly 17% more than the estimated $682 average during the summer of 2025.
The report analyzed electricity pricing data from Heatmap News and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Electricity Price Hub.
Third Way points to growing electricity demand from data centers, domestic manufacturing and broader electrification, arguing that new power generation is not being added quickly enough to keep pace.
The report found Ohio's average electricity bills in May were already 14% higher than in May 2025. If costs continue rising at a similar rate, the average July electric bill could reach about $238 and total summer costs could exceed $780.
The projections come as affordability remains a growing concern nationwide. The National Energy Assistance Directors Association and the Center for Poverty, Energy and Climate report that one in six U.S. households is behind on utility bills and nearly 40% of households earning less than $50,000 a year have difficulty paying energy costs.
The report also points to Ohio's rapid growth in large-scale data centers as one factor increasing future electricity demand.
Third Way advocates expanding renewable energy sources, including wind, solar and battery storage, as part of the response to increasing demand. The organization also criticized federal policies it argues are slowing clean-energy development while supporting older coal-fired power plants.
Ohio lawmakers, utilities and regulators continue to debate how the state should increase electricity supply while keeping power reliable and affordable.