Rally seeks to save Perry Nuclear Power Plant

A “Save the Perry Nuclear Power Plant” rally is scheduled for Feb. 17 at Perry High School’s Godwin Theater.

The 11 a.m. event is being hosted by Perry Schools Superintendent Jack Thompson and Lake County Commissioner Jerry Cirino.

The future of Perry Nuclear Power Plant in North Perry and the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Plant in Ottawa County remains uncertain as FirstEnergy looks to sell or close them.

In January, Moody’s Investors Services downgraded the bond rating of power plant owner FirstEnergy Solutions. Moody’s stated it is highly likely the subsidiary will default on a $100 million bond payment in early April.

Thompson and Cirino will speak at the rally. Another featured speaker is former FirstEnergy Generation Co. President Gary Leidich. He will address the “benefits of nuclear energy and its proper place in the energy grid for Ohio” according to a news release.

Perry Schools is the biggest financial beneficiary of the power plant.

The school district was informed by Lake County Auditor Edward H. Zupancic in October that a devaluation in FirstEnergy’s public utilities cost the district nearly $2.3 million.

“The economics for our community and school system are critical to consider here,” Thompson said in a statement. “A plant closure would significantly disadvantage our school system financially.”

Cirino said in a statement that the rally is an opportunity to hear “where we are with this issue to find out how they can help influence decisions by the federal government, the state and regulators to keep Perry operating.”

Efforts to subsidize the nuclear plants at the state level face an “uphill climb,” as Ohio Sen. John Eklund put it at the annual legislative breakfast Feb. 12.

Eklund is sponsoring legislation to give “Zero Energy Credits” to the plants. To pay from those credits, FirstEnergy’s residential customers would pay $2.50 extra a month and business customers would pay the lesser of a $3,500 or 5 percent monthly increase.

The Lake County commissioners on Feb. 7 passed a resolution urging FirstEnergy to “continue the operation of the Perry Nuclear Power Plant through the investigation and implementation of all possible options.”

The resolution was first introduced by Commissioner Daniel P. Troy.

“This is a chance for this board to go on record and say we are united, this dispels perceptions or accusations out there that there are commissioners out there who could really care less whether the Perry Nuclear Power Plant stays open or closes,” Troy said.