Ohio Energy Market Insights

How Ohio's wholesale electricity market works, and tools to understand your energy costs

Ohio's Wholesale Pricing Zones

Ohio's electricity is bought and sold in the PJM wholesale market. Each utility territory is its own PJM pricing zone, and wholesale prices (called LMPs) can differ between zones and change every five minutes.

AEP Ohio PJM zone: AEP
Columbus, Canton, Zanesville, Portsmouth
Duke Energy Ohio PJM zone: DEOK
Cincinnati, Hamilton, Middletown
FirstEnergy (Ohio Edison/Toledo Edison/Illuminating Co) PJM zone: ATSI
Cleveland, Akron, Toledo, Youngstown
Dayton Power & Light (AES Ohio) PJM zone: DAY
Dayton, Springfield

See current and historical wholesale prices from the official sources:

PJM Markets & Operations PJM Data Miner EIA Wholesale Markets

LMP = Locational Marginal Price. Wholesale prices are only one part of a business electricity bill; retail rates also include capacity, transmission, utility delivery charges, and taxes.

Market Alerts

Get weekly updates on Ohio energy prices, natural gas trends, and savings opportunities.

Load Factor Calculator

Your load factor indicates how consistently you use electricity. Higher load factors (70%+) often qualify for better rates.

Natural Gas Impact

Natural gas prices directly affect Ohio electricity costs. About 40% of Ohio's electricity comes from gas-fired plants.

  • Gas prices up = Higher electricity rates
  • Gas prices down = Lower electricity rates
  • Winter demand spikes can cause price volatility

When to Lock Rates

Timing matters when choosing fixed vs. variable rates:

  • Lock rates when gas prices are low or expected to rise
  • Variable rates may win when markets are declining
  • Best time to shop: 60-90 days before contract ends