Community Members and Advocates Call on PUCO to Stop Coal Plant Bailouts

COLUMBUS, OH -- Today, community members and advocacy groups came together for a press conference urging the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) to finally perform required audits on the OVEC plants currently receiving a bailout under the corrupt HB6 law. 

The PUCO is required to conduct audits to determine whether or not the costs ratepayers are charged each month to pay off the coal plant shareholders’ debts are “prudent.” And, audits at the PUCO reveal that OVEC is running the plants at inefficient times and overcharging all of us. An audit was recently censored by PUCO staff who asked the auditor to remove language saying the bailouts were not in the interests of ratepayers. PUCO must also finally force Ohio utilities to divest from the OVEC coal plants, as was ordered years ago.

From the Press Conference:

Karin Nordstrom at Ohio Environmental Council said,

"Ohioans are ready for a diversified approach to energy that ensures reliability, keeps costs reasonable, invites new jobs and development, and reduces pollution in our air. The time has come to turn the page on Ohio energy policy, and we must stop the coal bailouts that the disastrous HB 6 legislation permitted."

Molly Nichols at Sierra Club said,

“The PUCO’s job is to look out for ratepayers. Instead, they are looking out for the utility’s shareholders, continuing to make us pay off the OVEC economic losses and debt. We have already paid over $300 million for these plants and are expected to pay up to $850 million by 2030. These plants are also spewing pollution–damaging our air, water, and public health. 

This first audit case was fully briefed over a year ago, and still, there has been no decision from the PUCO. The PUCO could decide to credit ratepayers millions of dollars for these overcharges.”

Peggy Berry at Sierra Club said,

“As a Sierra Club member and a Ph.D. prepared nurse, I recognize the ramifications of no action by the PUCO to limit how much customers must pay for these dirty coal plants, which are run poorly and cause health impacts downwind. The PUCO needs to take action to protect the health and financial impacts for customers throughout Ohio.”

Larry Bresler at Utilities for All said,

"As utility bills are skyrocketing, customers are not aware of the extra charges that they are incurring, such as subsidies for coal–not even used for their own electricity.  We must demand bill transparency from the PUCO or the passage of HB 41 which would require such transparency."

Background:

In 2013, AEP began asking the Public Utilities Commission to get cost recovery for the OVEC coal plants. Other utilities followed, and charges began appearing on ratepayers’ bills in 2017. The bailouts were then extended to include all ratepayers in Ohio by proponents of corrupt HB6. Ohioans have already paid hundreds of millions of dollars and are expected to pay up to $850 million by 2030. 

Ohioans are forced to pay these extra charges every month, funding coal plants that have operated at a loss for decades and polluted our environment. While there is currently a credit on ratepayers’ bills due to high gas prices, this is a pittance compared to how much we have already paid and will continue to pay if these bailouts remain in place.