{"content":[{"text":"Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel","bbox":{"left":0.191667,"top":0.059316,"width":0.37203299999999995,"height":0.027792000000000004}},{"text":"Your Residential Utility Consumer Advocate","bbox":{"left":0.648725,"top":0.068545,"width":0.2968219999999999,"height":0.018500000000000003}},{"text":"BEFORE THE HOUSE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMITTEE \n OVERSIGHT HEARINGS ON ELECTRIC UTILITIES","bbox":{"left":0.155981,"top":0.158277,"width":0.6879339999999999,"height":0.05127200000000001}},{"text":"TESTIMONY BY BRUCE J. WESTON \n INTERIM CONSUMERS’ COUNSEL","bbox":{"left":0.275885,"top":0.227974,"width":0.448081,"height":0.05119699999999999}},{"text":"DECEMBER 7, 2011","bbox":{"left":0.381866,"top":0.297671,"width":0.23596999999999996,"height":0.028015000000000012}},{"text":"Good morning Chairman Stautberg, Vice Chair Gonzales, Ranking Member DeGeeter and","bbox":{"left":0.117647,"top":0.361849,"width":0.7111990000000001,"height":0.020212000000000008}},{"text":"members of the House Public Utilities Committee. Thank you for allowing me to testify today","bbox":{"left":0.117647,"top":0.396697,"width":0.7392079999999999,"height":0.020212000000000008}},{"text":"regarding Ohio’s electric utilities and their service to Ohio’s residential utility customers.","bbox":{"left":0.117647,"top":0.431545,"width":0.700577,"height":0.020212000000000008}},{"text":"I am","bbox":{"left":0.828028,"top":0.431545,"width":0.035426999999999986,"height":0.020212000000000008}},{"text":"Bruce Weston, the Interim Consumers’ Counsel. The Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel","bbox":{"left":0.117647,"top":0.466394,"width":0.740381,"height":0.020212000000000008}},{"text":"(OCC) advocates on behalf of Ohio’s residential utility customers for affordable and reliable","bbox":{"left":0.117647,"top":0.501242,"width":0.7264139999999999,"height":0.020212000000000008}},{"text":"utility services.","bbox":{"left":0.117647,"top":0.536091,"width":0.11993199999999998,"height":0.020212000000000008}},{"text":"In this testimony, I will discuss a few of the benefits and challenges for","bbox":{"left":0.247396,"top":0.536091,"width":0.558627,"height":0.020212000000000008}},{"text":"residential utility customers regarding their electric utility service in Ohio.","bbox":{"left":0.117647,"top":0.570939,"width":0.582632,"height":0.020212000000000008}},{"text":"Background","bbox":{"left":0.117647,"top":0.640924,"width":0.10352699999999998,"height":0.02098500000000003}},{"text":"Electric services have three components: the distribution, transmission, and generation of","bbox":{"left":0.117647,"top":0.675485,"width":0.7002349999999999,"height":0.020212000000000008}},{"text":"electricity.","bbox":{"left":0.117647,"top":0.710333,"width":0.08335700000000001,"height":0.020212000000000008}},{"text":"Distribution and transmission services are regulated by various levels of government","bbox":{"left":0.210714,"top":0.710333,"width":0.6643329999999998,"height":0.020212000000000008}},{"text":"primarily because they are natural monopolies.","bbox":{"left":0.117647,"top":0.745182,"width":0.36800900000000003,"height":0.020212000000000008}},{"text":"It would not be cost-effective to build multiple","bbox":{"left":0.495447,"top":0.745182,"width":0.366654,"height":0.020212000000000008}},{"text":"alternatives to these systems.","bbox":{"left":0.117647,"top":0.78003,"width":0.227605,"height":0.020212000000000008}},{"text":"10 West Broad Street 18th Floor Columbus, Ohio 43215-3485 \n (614) 466-8574 (614) 466-9475 facsimile 1-877-PICKOCC toll free www.pickocc.org","bbox":{"left":0.272647,"top":0.930587,"width":0.454642,"height":0.03379599999999994}}],"images_bbox":[{"left":0.05451,"top":0.049091,"width":0.115294,"height":0.089091},{"left":0.108627,"top":0.13697,"width":0.007059,"height":0.000303}],"images_bbox_not_text_overlap":[{"left":0.05451,"top":0.049091,"width":0.115294,"height":0.089091},{"left":0.108627,"top":0.13697,"width":0.007059,"height":0.000303}]}