By Pat Marida, Chair, Ohio Sierra Club Nuclear Free Committee
FIND your legislators and their phone numbers at http://legislature.ohio.gov. Call by August 1st!
Ohio House Bill (HB) 6 is a huge proposed bailout for FirstEnergy, the electric utility that owns Ohio’s two nuclear power plants, Davis-Besse and Perry, both located on Lake Erie where they threaten the drinking water of millions.
The latest incarnation of the ever-changing HB 6 would give FirstEnergy about $157 million/year through 2027. This would come from Ohio’s electric ratepayers – even those outside FirstEnergy territory. The regressive measure would add about $1/month to residential bills and would hit small businesses hard.
Even worse, HB 6 also quashes Ohio’s renewable energy and efficiency standards. Ohio is poised to be a leader in wind and solar development. Efficiency mandates have so far cost Ohioans $1.5 billion and will save $8.7 billion over their lifetime. These benefits are being crushed by through legislative shenanigans.
Because it is illegal for Ohio to directly subsidize any particular energy source, Ohio Republicans have crafted HB 6 as “The Ohio Clean Air Program.” Cleverly, the word “nuclear” is not even in the bill. But it is written in a way that only gives a bailout to FirstEnergy for their 2 nukes and 2 coal plants, one of which is in Indiana!
Ohio’s media have come out strongly against HB 6. Many hours of testimony have been heard at the Statehouse, the vast majority against the bill. Opponents have testified that no one bailed out their towns when industries left.