NEW YORK, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Microsoft ( MSFT ),

Alphabet, Meta, Amazon ( AMZN ) and other

tech firms have proposed an alternative framework for how data

centers pay for power in Ohio, according to documents filed with

regulators on Thursday.

The companies had been fighting a proposal brought by

utility AEP Ohio in May that would require data centers and

cryptocurrency miners to provide pre-payments and other

financial assurances for their massive energy needs. AEP said at

the time it was overloaded with requests from those two groups.

Ohio is among the top U.S. states seeing an influx of

interest from data centers as Big Tech rushes to acquire large

amounts of power to fuel its expansion of technology such as

generative AI.

That explosion in demand prompted AEP Ohio this year to

pause new contracts for data centers.

Big Tech, power companies, including Constellation Energy ( CEG )

, and others began fighting AEP's proposal before the

Public Utilities Commission of Ohio in August.

Some companies have now offered to settle the case by

proposing terms such as broadening who AEP's rules apply to and

the circumstances under which big new power customers pay for

costs such as transmission upgrades.

The PUC of Ohio would have to approve any settlement.