Customer Bailout of Nuclear Power Plants Debated (Again)

This week saw renewed legislative interest in forcing Ohio electric customers to pay to bailout uneconomic nuclear power plants. House Speaker Larry Householder voiced support for preserving the plants lauding their environmental benefits.

Toledo Blade quoted the Speaker as saying, “I think it’s a benefit to the entire state of Ohio to have those non-emissions plants,” perhaps opening the door to new charges on power bills of all Ohio investor-owned utility customers.

Meanwhile, the Columbus Dispatch ran dueling columns on the topic. Former New Hampshire governor and U.S. Senator Judd Gregg made the case for bailing out nuclear power to protect jobs and promote clean fuel, while former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell argued against bailouts calling them crony capitalism.

Get ready for another electrifying debate. The OMA Energy Committee will discuss this issue at its March 12 meeting. 2/7/2019