In the wake of President Donald Trump ordering the federal government to help keep struggling nuclear and coal-fired power plants afloat, FirstEnergy Solutions contended Friday it still needs help from the governments of Ohio and Pennsylvania to keep its four reactors online.
Several news organizations reported Friday that Trump has ordered Energy Secretary Rick Perry to take “immediate steps” to help financially troubled coal and nuclear plants. A leaked memo, first reported by Bloomberg News, said that would include DOE using its emergency powers to require power grid companies to buy electricity from such facilities for two years, The New York Times reported.
“We welcome President Trump’s support and his recognition of the critical role that our plants play in the security and resilience of the nation’s electrical system. We look forward to reviewing Secretary Perry’s order when it is issued, Don Moul, president of FES Generation Companies, said in a prepared statement. “While this marks an important first step, until timing and details of the order are clear, additional support at the state level will be necessary to protect the jobs in Ohio and Pennsylvania.”
Just before declaring bankruptcy in late March, Akron, Ohio-based FirstEnergy Solutions said it would by October 2021 halt power production at three nuclear plants: the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station in Oak Harbor, Ohio; the Perry Nuclear Power Plant in Perry, Ohio; and the Beaver Valley Power Station in Shippingport, Pa.
The company then asked Perry to use his authority under Section 202(c) the Federal Power Act to order regional power clearinghouse PJM Interconnection to sign contracts that guarantee FirstEnergy’s nuclear and coal plants can fully recover their costs along with a return on their investments. Perry has not formally responded to the request.
A bill to help FirstEnergy Solutions increase rates for its nuclear plants has stalled in the Ohio General Assembly. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported in mid-May that Republican state Rep. William Seitz, Ohio House Public Utilities Committee chairman, decided to not to move that bill out of committee. No legislation pertaining to this topic has been introduced in Pennsylvania’s General Assembly.
