Republican lawmakers in Ohio are circulating a plan to keep coal plants open, even if an owner has a contractual obligation to close a facility.
A draft bill obtained by Canary Media would block coal-fired power plants from closing when the shutdown is required by a settlement agreement. It would apply to both past and future contracts between plant owners and private parties to resolve issues in a state court or regulatory proceeding.
“My first thought was, ‘Why is there a piece of legislation trying to go against the Ohio Constitution?’” said Neil Waggoner, Midwest coordinator for the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign, referring to a prohibition against retroactive laws. “This breaks not just any contract moving forward but also breaks any previous contract.”
The proposal would directly affect the 620-megawatt coal unit at the Cardinal power plant in eastern Ohio, which is slated to close by the end of 2028. In 2015, the Sierra Club and American Electric Power’s Ohio utility, which owned part of the plant at the time, reached a settlement in a regulatory case that included a commitment for the closure and other measures.
Under the draft bill, Buckeye Power, which took on AEP’s obligations for the Cardinal power plant following a 2022 sale, could ignore the terms of the settlement and keep the facility online if requested or ordered by various people or agencies.
In a statement sent to Canary Media, Buckeye Power said that it “ supports the draft legislation and intends to file testimony in its favor after it is introduced.”
Source link
