The plan to overhaul Ohio’s energy policy would get rid of the state’s green energy standards and would likely bailout nuclear power plants. The major utility company, FirstEnergy, has been strongly advocating for those two things to happen for years now.
FirstEnergy gave more than $150,000 to House Republicans in 2018 leading up to the November election.
Now House Speaker Larry Householder (R-Glenford) is pushing for a new energy plan that would steer about $170 million in subsidies to two nuclear plants owned by FirstEnergy Solutions, which used to be a subsidiary of FirstEnergy.
He denies a connection between the new bill and FirstEnergy’s political support, but Householder argues for the merit of a large employer making big campaign donations.
“For them to care about those people who are trying to serve the state of Ohio and make sure they’ve got good quality candidates moving forward I think is important for anybody,” Householder says.
FirstEnergy Solutions plans to close their two nuclear plants by 2021 if they can’t find legislative relief.
The bill would increase a residential customer's electric bill by $2.50 a month.
