8/2/17 – 5:24 A.M.

Findlay City Council is taking a step toward clarifying its position in a territory dispute between AEP and the Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative. The Courier reports council read a letter written by Councilman Tom Klein into the record during Tuesday’s meeting. The letter encourages both companies to continue to swap customers in areas where their service territories overlap.

The letter goes on to say, “Should either company choose to abandon that practice, we would hope that an acceptable outcome will be adjudicated through the proper authority having jurisdiction over the issue.”

Council could formally approve the letter at their August 15 meeting.

The Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative says AEP is “cherry-picking” large electric contracts on the city’s north side. AEP offered Hancock-Wood a service area in North Baltimore in exchange for the Campbell Soup site. Hancock-Wood rejected the offer and says AEP then took the Campbell contract away. AEP says when Findlay annexes business sites into the city, it gives AEP the right to offer them service.

MORE: The Courier