Columbus, OH -- Today, Reps. Callendar and Wilken announced the impending introduction of a taxpayer-funded bailout of the Davis-Besse and Perry nuclear plants, and an effective repeal of Ohio’s Renewable Portfolio and Energy Efficiency Standards. As proposed, the bill would require Ohio taxpayers to pay a new surcharge on their electric bills that would largely go to bailout Ohio’s two aging nuclear plants, both owned by FirstEnergy Solutions, despite the existence of cleaner, cheaper energy sources.
The following statement can be attributed in full, or in part, to Trish Demeter, Vice President of Energy Policy with the Ohio Environmental Council Action Fund:
“The bill announced today is nothing more than another bailout tax for failing nuclear plants paid for on the backs of hardworking Ohioans. Adding insult to injury, the proposed bill would dismantle one of the only state policies that reliably deliver electric bill savings to customers, decrease air pollution, and create new jobs in Ohio.
“The OEC Action Fund rejects the notion that this bill is for the benefit of cleaner air. The bailout tax will not create any new jobs, and is just another short-term fix to a long-term problem.
“Ohioans deserve legislators who work to create a sustainable future for their families, instead of ignoring the opportunity to protect our children and grandchildren. Wind and solar are the most viable and least risky clean energy sources today and in the future, yet Ohio legislators want to invest in the technologies of yesterday. We need legislation that builds upon the growth of the clean energy industry, adding to over 112,000 clean energy jobs already in our state. Clean energy is good for Ohioans’ health and it’s good for our economic future.”