Tom Raga
President, AES Ohio
Dear Community,
In reflecting on the responsibility of serving more than 527,000 Ohio customers, AES is uniquely positioned to make transformational investments in our 24-county service territory. And, after more than 110 years of providing electric service to the Miami Valley, we value and understand our role to help communities thrive. We’ve acted on this responsibility through partnership in economic development projects, significant investments to local organizations, and modernization of our electric grid.
Through our state and local partnerships, AES Ohio participated in 39 economic impact projects last year, providing the critical electric infrastructure to attract more than 10,000 new and retained jobs. We are proud to serve our strategic customers—large and small—who injected $383 million into the Miami Valley economy. Additionally, our new capital investments totaled $1.07 billion—signaling our commitment to driving sustainable economic growth in Ohio.
Our community impact is more than job creation and economic growth; we’ve made meaningful investments to build healthy and vibrant communities through our strategic focus areas. In total, we contributed $2.18 million to workforce development, arts and culture, poverty reduction, economic development, and diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
As a reminder, AES Ohio does not pass on the costs of its community investments or advertising to customers. We aim to be your neighbor of choice, so our people are encouraged to give back to their communities through volunteer commitments, community board leadership and formal mentorships.
In addition to economic growth and community partnerships, we continue to add value by modernizing the energy grid and through our digital transformation—providing you with smarter, more efficient and reliable service. Through a four-year plan approved by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, we are deploying smart meters to our customers and replacing aging infrastructure.
I invite you to read further about what drives our work, our investments and our people in the 2023 AES Ohio Community Impact Report.
Thank you for your continued trust and partnership.
David Crusey
Board Chair, AES Ohio Foundation
Dear Partners,
We are excited to present the AES 2023 Community Impact Report, showcasing the collective efforts of AES Ohio and The AES Ohio Foundation in making a meaningful difference in the lives of those we serve. Our commitment to invest in our communities is deeply ingrained in our ethos, and it is a privilege to witness the transformative power of our collective efforts. Through Smarter Collaborations, we have forged partnerships that transcend traditional boundaries, enabling us to make a positive and lasting impact where it matters most. Our goal is not only to address immediate needs but also to foster long-term sustainable change that lifts individuals and communities. With each investment, we strive to create opportunities for growth, prosperity and empowerment, ensuring no one is left behind.
The organizations we've supported are dedicated to addressing poverty reduction, workforce development, economic development, the arts and DEI. Our support in these areas underscores our commitment to making a meaningful difference in the lives of our customers and communities.
As we reflect on the past year, we are filled with gratitude for the dedication and resilience of our partners, volunteers, people and stakeholders.
Thank you for your unwavering support and commitment to building a brighter – more illuminated – future for all.
2023 Total investments
Percentage of total investments
Diversity, equity & inclusion
Percentages denote diversity driven organization and programming in each investment category
AES Ohio does not pass on the cost of its community investments or advertising to customers.
The AES Ohio Foundation is proud to be the largest corporate foundation in our region where every dollar stays local. AES Ohio does not pass on the cost of its community investments or advertising to customers.
Since 1985, the Foundation has granted more than $45.3 million dollars throughout our 24-county service area and is committed to investing in our communities. Through Smarter Collaborations — working closely with our partners to define and solve complex problems and identify opportunities — our goal is to illuminate our communities and create a positive and lasting impact for the customers we serve.
In 2023, The AES Ohio Foundation made 49 investments, totaling $1.37 million, that was invested back into the communities through strategic focus areas:
AES Ohio is committed to strengthening the state and local economies by attracting new and retaining existing customers. We are a critical infrastructure partner deeply engaged in economic and community development to support job creation and businesses. With our partners, we work together as one team united by common goals and shared values to brighten the future.
Joby Aviation - Electric Air Taxi
Collaboratively, AES Ohio worked closely with local and state leaders and the Dayton region's economic development partners to identify the infrastructure necessary to ensure reliable operations, support growth, and meet the needs of future electric demand for the new Joby Aviation facility. Joby Aviation is set to transform Dayton's aviation legacy with a $500 million investment to build an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, commonly termed as a "flying car." This pioneering venture aims to light the sky in an environmentally-friendly way and will create 2,000 jobs by 2028. The new assembly-line manufacturing facility, located near Dayton International Airport, will build, test and fly all-electric, vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) air taxis for commercial passenger operations. The aircraft, designed to accommodate a pilot and four passengers, will be capable of achieving speeds of up to 200 miles per hour over a 100-mile range. Joby Aviation plans to operate the aircraft as part of aerial ridesharing networks in cities and communities around the world.
LG Energy Solution - Honda
Construction is underway on AES Ohio’s $100M investment to add new energy infrastructure to the LG Energy Solution-Honda Joint Venture site in Fayette County. To ensure continued reliable operations for new and existing customers, the upgrades to the electric infrastructure in Jeffersonville and surrounding communities support growth and future demand in this developing area. The facility is a major step toward electrification and the adoption of electric vehicles. LG Energy Solution’s innovative battery technologies will power Honda’s brand-new EV models and achieve carbon neutrality for all products and corporate activities by 2050. LG Energy Solution and Honda’s combined investments of $4.4 billion will create a total of 2,527 new jobs in Ohio between the establishment of a new EV battery plant in Fayette County and the retooling of existing Honda plants in Union, Logan, and Shelby counties for electric vehicle production.
Dayton Performing Art Alliance
The AES Ohio Foundation continued its proud support of the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance (DPAA). The Dayton Philharmonic, Dayton Ballet, and Dayton Opera comprise one operating unit preserving and illuminating the integrity and identity of each of its three art forms. Audiences returned to near full capacity with just over 59,000 patrons. 554 students participated in the Ballet School, Q the Music and the Youth Orchestras. Additionally, nearly 51,000 students and teachers were engaged through learning and community programs. The “Arts Are for Everyone” $5 ticket program sponsored by AES Ohio, broadened access and affordability to the community to attend DPAA programs and reached 3,896 tickets sold.
Big Brothers Big Sisters Miami Valley
Big Brothers Big Sisters Miami Valley (BBBS) creates and supports one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. Since 1958, this organization has provided school-based mentoring and community-based mentoring programs for youths ages 6 and up. AES Ohio has actively participated as a “Big” and served on the board of directors. The AES Ohio Foundation provided a grant to support youth mentoring programs to more than 350 youth and families across four counties in Montgomery, Miami, Preble and Greene counties.
Program impact:
92%
of littles report they made better decisions
96%
of littles report increased educational expectations
89%
of littles report improved depressive symptoms because of their “Big”
84%
of littles improved their grades and overall academic performance
Rebuilding Together Dayton
Rebuilding Together Dayton seeks to advance health equity by improving health and housing outcomes for our neighbors in economically distressed communities. The AES Ohio Foundation provided a grant for Seasonal Safe@Home. According to a recent study conducted by the AARP, nearly 90% of older adults would prefer to stay in their current homes as long as possible. Aging in place is also widely understood to be more cost-effective than nursing homes and assisted-living facilities. Seasonal Safe@Home focuses on seasonal-based repairs, volunteer and homeowner education and volunteer [Re]Build opportunities.
Additionally, AES Ohio joined nearly 500 community volunteers for National Rebuilding Day in the Edgemont and Carillon neighborhoods. Volunteers assisted homeowners (primarily seniors) with home repairs and modifications, smoke detector installs and yard clean up so they can age in place safely and live independently. The AES Ohio Foundation is a proud sponsor of one of the homes.
Bike Miami Valley
To help reduce carbon emissions, AES Ohio partners with Bike Miami Valley to sponsor two bicycle hubs, 30 e-Link bikes and five green link bikes (pedal bikes) for bicycle enthusiasts. AES Ohio’s Summer 2022-2023 impact –
- Successful hub checkouts and returns: 892 at Courthouse Square and 2,470 at Miami Valley Hospital.
- More than 9,400 trips were made on AES Ohio branded bicycles.
- In 2023, a record was set with 50,000 trips across 37 locations!
Bike Miami Valley’s fleet size of 200 electric bicycles and 150 bicycles with 37 hubs across downtown Dayton aims to use the power of cycling to drive economic development and advocates for bicycle-friendly communities. Partnering with Bike Miami Valley is one of the many ways AES Ohio focuses on creating an engaged, vibrant, welcoming region and a great place to live and work.
Since 2013, Wright State has received an AES Ohio Foundation Power Grant to fund student success and degree completion in the colleges of Business and Engineering & Computer Science and alternate energy projects. The program is aimed at people between the ages of 25 and 45 who have completed at least 60 semester credit hours and want to return to college to complete their bachelor’s degree in business or engineering and computer science. Currently, 11 students are participating at different stages in the program pursuing degrees across different disciplines in the college such as management information systems, finance and marketing. The goals of the Academic Advantage Program (AAP) are to help incoming students transition to college life and improve their math skills. With AES Ohio Foundation’s support, all 92 students were able to participate in AAP at no cost to them.
The University of Dayton (UD) Statehouse Civic Scholar intern program is an opportunity for upperclassmen to work in the state capital for the summer, gaining valuable job skills and learning how state government functions. Twelve students are selected annually to intern in highly desirable offices in state government, including the Ohio Statehouse, executive agencies, judiciary, interest groups and lobbying firms. Since its inception in 2013, the Statehouse Civic Scholars program was funded by corporate sponsorships and later, in 2017, through AES Ohio Foundation grants. In total 120 interns have successfully completed their internships and have moved forward in a variety of local, state and federal government careers.
These programs demonstrate our commitment to workforce development and helping us prepare our population to meet the needs of companies looking to invest in the region. The AES Ohio Foundation partners with local universities and education programs to fund innovative partnerships to fill the jobs of the future.
Clothes That Work
For 25 years, Clothes That Work has stayed true to its mission of clothing, educating and empowering individuals to achieve employment success. Clothes That Work recently launched its newest program, the Mobile Outreach Initiative. The 38-foot-long mobile unit is stocked with professional clothing, shoes and accessories for clients. During the initiative’s pilot year, Clothes That Work served nearly 500 clients with the mobile unit and traveled 741 miles to work with 32 clients in Montgomery, Greene and Gallia counties. The Mobile Outreach Initiative will revolutionize service delivery and eliminate transportation barriers clients face while trying to access services. Clothes That Work received a grant from the AES Ohio Foundation to support the Mobile Outreach Initiative. In addition, the grant supports the Workforce Education Initiative program which includes a clothing and coaching series designed to equip both job seekers and those currently employed with the knowledge and skills that lead to personal growth and employment success. Since 2017, more than 420 workshops have been held for more than 7,000 individuals. Annually, AES Ohio partners with Clothes That Work to host a clothing drive to bring light to the organization and address the needs of jobseekers.
STEM education for future engineers
In collaboration with ThinkTV, a public broadcasting station in Dayton, AES Ohio took part in the Engineering Your Future: Middle School Edition program, a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education program. The series introduces middle school kids to STEM career possibilities early, before they reach high school. It is designed to inspire students, especially girls and students of color, about engineering and other in-demand STEM careers, with real stories from young STEM professionals that look like them. Engineering Your Future one of the most frequently viewed in the STEM program series, achieving 2,417 independent views with 10,414.33 total minutes of viewing. In addition to ThinkTV educational programming, The Ohio Department of Education and Ohio Broadcast Educational Media Commission shared the video throughout their networks during the school year.
The AES Director of Innovation and New Technologies is featured in their series. He highlights his experiences and passion for engineering in a fun and informational interview. An inspiration to all, he has traveled the world with AES in various roles to help lead the transition from fossil fuels to clean renewable energy.
Gift of Power impact
The AES Ohio Gift of Power program completed its eighth year providing emergency assistance to customers struggling to pay their winter heating bills. Our contribution, along with generous donations from customers and employees, kept the power on for families, friends and neighbors. All donations were administered by The Salvation Army. Since 2015, AES Ohio has donated nearly $1.8 million to light the homes and hearts of our neighbors in Ohio. The Gift of Power program has helped illuminate the homes of more than 4,000 customers by keeping their lights on.
United Way of the Greater Dayton area
AES Ohio continued its annual tradition by donating over $124,000 to a variety of causes within the United Way of the Greater Dayton Area through the annual employee giving campaign. United Way of the Greater Dayton area hosted a lunch and learn along with partner agencies and social impact grantees to share their impact with AES Ohio employees. More than 150 AES Ohio employees participated in the virtual kickoff, BINGO and in-person activities during the two-week campaign window, coming All Together, for a great cause.
Board affiliations
Our AES Ohio people serve in the community through a variety of board appointments at non-profit organizations such as American Red Cross - Miami Valley Chapter, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami Valley, Boonshoft Museum of Discovery, Clothes that Work, Dayton Performing Arts Alliance, Junior Achievement Greater Dayton, Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission, Muse Machine, Rebuilding Together Dayton, The Children’s Hunger Alliance, The Foodbank, ThinkTV and The Local Organizing Committee for the Dayton Hoopla and NCAA Men’s Division I Men’s Basketball First Four®. We are proud of the many ways that our people support and brighten the community we serve.
Great place to work
In 2023, AES Ohio achieved its second Great Places to Work (GPTW) certification for the US Utilities. A great place to work is built on a culture of trust and transparency. GPTW is a third-party certification, determined by employees and how they perceive their employer and experience at a company. The analysis considers the daily experiences of how our company lives by its values, people's ability to contribute new ideas and the effectiveness of leaders daily. This achievement illuminates collaboration across various departments. All together, we can continue taking steps to strengthen that culture at all levels of the organization in 2023 and beyond.
AES Ohio Day in the Parks
Part of what makes our company a great place to work is our willingness to come together and create opportunities to improve the lives of our customers and make lasting impacts in our communities. In October, partnering with Five Rivers MetroParks, AES Ohio Day in the Parks continued the tradition for our people to help revitalize the parks that we enjoy year-round throughout the Dayton region. More than 60 volunteers spent the day at Cox Arboretum MetroPark providing garden bed maintenance, including weeding, mulching and planting, and removing invasive species from the Red Trail. This beautiful 174-acre facility has walking trails lined with trees, shrubs, specialty gardens, mature forests and prairies. The Arboretum hosts year-round educational programs that teach children and adults about sustainable horticulture, plant science and conservation.
Girls on the Run
AES Ohio’s Women’s Networking Group and AESVets partnered with Girls on the Run (GOTR) Dayton for their Fall 5K Celebration. The event was held on Veteran’s Day, November 11. Prior to the start, all groups gathered to honor and thank our veterans for their service. AES Ohio proudly distributed flag pins and USA wristbands to all participants and their families.
GOTR is a national nonprofit organization focusing on inspiring girls, grades 3-5, to build confidence and make intentional decisions, while fostering care and compassion for self and others. Our ten families and five volunteers came together, donating their time, to support the 232 runners, encourage the girls of our future to make an impact and honor those who have served on Veteran’s Day.
Smart Grid
AES Ohio has made significant progress in year three of the Smart Grid Plan to modernize our electric grid by implementing advanced tools, techniques and technologies. This includes upgrading equipment and assets with smart technology to reduce outages, shorten restoration times, and improve safety for customers and crews. Along with smart meters, distribution automation will help to quickly pinpoint the source of a power outage so crews can be immediately dispatched to the problem area. From digital start or stop service to outage isolation, crews are more efficient and safer. We know our customers depend on us to provide the reliable energy they need to power their lives. We hold the solutions we deliver to global standards of excellence, addressing the growing economic, environmental and energy demand for West Central Ohio.
In 2023, AES Ohio rebuilt 22 circuits and installed 71 reclosers, demonstrating our commitment to a more reliable power supply and dedication to reducing power outages. Newly installed smart meters will allow future benefits for customers to monitor and manage their energy usage more efficiently. The implementation of smart meters uses two layers of encryption to prevent unauthorized access for added data security, enhanced customer support with usage data and reduces outage and restoration time.
AES Ohio people and contractors reached the following project-to-date milestones of Smart Grid at the end of 2023:
309,483
meters installed
17
substations completed
13,704
smart thermostat rebates
160
reclosers installed
48
routers installed
63
EV charging projects
Safety 101
AES Ohio’s Safety 101 demonstrations are a fun and visual way to teach audiences how electricity is produced, how to use it safely, how to be around electricity safely and what can happen if you don’t. The presentation is led by senior linemen in full protective gear, who explain that humans, because we’re made of water, are involuntary conductors of electricity. The audience varies from elementary, middle and high-school students to police and fire personnel, businesses and community groups in the AES Ohio service territory. In 2023, Safety 101 launched its pilot program delivering 12 demonstrations with 650 participants.
The AES Ohio Safety Team proudly participated in Safety Day 2023 at Andersons Marathon Ethanol in Greenville, Ohio. The company’s employees and families learned how to be safe around electricity and illuminated the important work line workers perform safely every day.
Electrification
AES Ohio is transitioning to a smarter and more environmentally-friendly energy future with the electrification of its fleet. Our people who use electric vehicles (EVs) are trained in fleet electrification operations and management. Currently, there are 57 vehicles and AES Ohio plans to continue increasing the number of EVs. Fleet electrification is defined as the transition of fleet vehicles from internal combustion engines (ICE) to zero-emission electric vehicles (EV). Fleets can be comprised of passenger vehicles used as cars, SUVs, vans and trucks.
Enhancing the electric grid
LineVision completed an installation of its patented non-contact sensors on transmission towers owned by AES Ohio and AES Indiana as part of a joint project to assess how Grid-Enhancing Technologies (GETs), like Dynamic Line Ratings (DLR), may increase transmission capacity at certain times on the power grid. The data gathered will be used to evaluate how the transmission network can be optimized to safely maximize capacity and integrate renewable power generation. With this project, AES Ohio will be able to shed light on the value of their existing assets and better serve their customers.
