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GAHANNA, Ohio -- AEP Ohio and five data center companies recently announced a first-of-its-kind effort to provide more than $18 million in additional funding to help Ohioans pay their electric bills.
The funds will support AEP Ohio’s long-running Neighbor to Neighbor program, which provides grants to cover electric bills for people experiencing financial hardship.
The companies that contributed to the fund each have data centers in Ohio.
“These additional funds are a significant infusion for a program that helps Ohioans in need,” said AEP Ohio President Marc Reitter. “This fund has always been about neighbors helping neighbors and we are happy that our data center customers are a part of it.”
To support Ohioans, AEP Ohio will contribute an additional $1 million to the fund in 2026.
Additional contributions came from:
Meta: $2 million per year over five years; $10 million total donation
QTS: $1 million per year over three years; $3 million total donation
Amazon: $2.5 million in 2026
SoftBank Energy: $1 million in 2026
Google: $500,000 to Neighbor to Neighbor and $500,000 to support energy efficiency upgrades for low-income households; $1 million total donation
The fund is administered by Dollar Energy Fund, a nonprofit organization that manages similar programs around the U.S.
“What makes today’s announcement different is that this isn’t just a talking point -- these companies are supporting Ohio families right now, with real commitments,” said Chad Quinn, Dollar Energy Fund CEO. “To our knowledge, this is the first time a data center community of this scale has opted into a utility-wide program of this kind, and we hope it sets a new bar for how this industry shows up for the communities and grids it depends on.”
Neighbor to Neighbor grants are provided on a first-come, first-served basis to eligible applicants while funding is available. For information about the program or to apply, visit Neighbor to Neighbor.