Supreme Court Declines To Hear Cases on Subsidies for Nuclear Energy

On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take up a pair of cases challenging state nuclear subsidies in cases brought by advocates for natural gas-fired power plants.

The Electric Power Supply Association (EPSA) contested state subsidies for nuclear plants in New York and Illinois. The case has ramifications for Ohio, which is considering a new form of nuclear power subsidies (see separate article on House Bill 6). The Electricity Consumers Resource Council (ELCON) issued a statement highlighting the threat posed by state-approved nuclear bailouts to industrial customers.

Still pending before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is a proposal from regional grid operator PJM Interconnection to address nuclear subsidies in market pricing. Alternative proposals are pending at PJM and could have significant cost impacts for customers on the wholesale market. The issue will be discussed at the May 30, 2019, OMA Energy Committee meeting. 4/15/2019