Nuclear and Coal Bailout narrowly moves out of the Ohio State House

Columbus, OH -- Just now, state legislators passed House Bill 6 out of the Ohio State House. HB6 repeals Ohio’s clean energy and efficiency standards while creating a new energy tax on all Ohio electric customers to bail out FirstEnergy Solutions Ohio nuclear power plants. The bill was amended to also bail out the Ohio Valley Electric Corporation’s (OVEC) two Eisenhower coal plants - only one of which is actually in Ohio - Kyger Creek in Ohio and Clifty Creek in Indiana.  

In Response, Neil Waggoner, Campaign Representative for Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign in Ohio released the following statement:

“What an absolute embarrassment for Ohio, and complete disregard for facts and sound public policy. House Bill 6 “clean air program” is a farce that will only make the air in Ohio worse and cost Ohioans more.

“There is nothing ‘clean’ about HB6; nothing clean in how Chairman Vitale handled hearings, nothing clean in how dark money groups and FirstEnergy continue to try to swindle the public with misleading ads, nothing clean about the mangling of facts from proponents speaking in favor of the bill on the House floor, and nothing clean in the end result if it becomes law and bails out old dirty plants.

“Ohio needs a real comprehensive energy policy. House Bill 6 is the opposite of that. The Senate needs to stand up for itself and Ohio constituents, not bow to outside pressure like the House.”