FirstEnergy's Davis Besse nuclear plant at Oak Harbor, Ohio. PHOTO BY AlienCG / Creative Commons

COLUMBUS -- "Ohio Republicans pushing a bill to subsidize two nuclear plants are finding themselves at odds with conservative groups in the state.

...Both the Buckeye Institute and Americans for Prosperity’s Ohio chapter were among dozens of parties who offered testimony to the committee late last month along with clean energy groups, consumer advocates and other opponents.

'[I]n the plain-spoken language most Ohioans prefer to use, HB 6 is corporate welfare,' said Micah Derry, Ohio state director of Americans for Prosperity. 'It is cronyism on full display; in other words, a bailout.'

Likewise, research fellow Greg Lawson of the Buckeye Institute called HB 6’s provisions 'classic examples of government subsidies being used to prop up declining businesses — the Davis-Besse and Perry nuclear power plants operated by FirstEnergy Solutions. 'And while there would be some funds that could be drawn upon by other entities, those monies risk 'becoming a glorified slush fund with the real incentive being for companies to find new and creative ways to tap into that fund,' rather than risking their own capital, he added."

-- Kathiann M. Kowalski, Midwest Energy News

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