Group lauded for plans to save nuclear power plants

There has been plenty of discussion about what needs to be done to keep the Perry Nuclear Power Plant from closing. Perry is one of three nuclear plants targeted for closure by FirstEnergy Solutions. One of the other plants also is based in Ohio: DavisBesse Nuclear Power Station in Oak Harbor.

With the Perry nuclear plant slated for decommissioning in 2021, time is dwindling to reverse its fate.

Having reached such a crucial point, we’re pleased to see the recent formation of a group committed not only to keeping Perry open, but also Davis-Besse, which is set to close in 2020.

The Ohio Clean Energy Jobs Alliance is seeking a public policy solution that will allow both plants to remain open into the future.

The coalition, according to a news release, will engage legislators, policymakers and the public to highlight the employment, economic, environmental and grid reliability benefits provided by the state’s two nuclear power facilities.

In our opinion, the Ohio Clean Energy Jobs Alliance has developed a sound strategy to succeed in its mission.

First, we commend the coalition for aiming to show how closure of the two nuclear power plants would have a statewide financial impact.

“The operation of Ohio’s nuclear stations contributes over $500 million annually to the state’s economy — over 4,000 jobs are at stake,” said Lake County Commissioner Jerry Cirino, an alliance member.

In addition, the group — comprised of government and labor leaders — is emphasizing how the two plants play a vital role in the state’s overall power supply.

The coalition stated that closing Perry and Davis-Besse, which produce 14 percent of the state’s electricity, would make Ohio too dependent on natural gas and take away a reliable source of energy, putting the state at risk of blackouts if the supply is interrupted.

It’s a good idea for the group to focus on the statewide impact of closing the two plants, given that the Ohio Legislature is being counted on to approve some kind of legislative solution to help keep Perry and Davis-Besse operating.

So far, state lawmakers have rejected proposals to subsidize the plants, which are struggling to compete with the cheaper cost of natural gas.

But Cirino said the coalition isn’t going to let previous setbacks diminish its determination to come up with a new and successful solution.

“We’re going to use this leverage to communicate better, this time around, as opposed to the ZEN (Zero Emission Nuclear Resource Program) bills of last year, on different ways and means to keep the plants open,” he said.

“The alliance, at this time, does not know exactly what the proposed solution is, but what it’s doing is pulling all the right people together to examine it … This (formation) is taking Ohio’s best interest in our own hands.”

Cirino added that of all the public officials who have signed up to be a part of the alliance, Lake County has the largest number. We’re not surprised by that level of participation, given that the Perry Nuclear Power Plant is a major contributor to the county’s economy.

To begin with, consider the more than 700 employees who would lose their jobs if the Perry Nuclear Power Plant closed.

“Many would have to move somewhere because their expertise is in the nuclear field,” Cirino said in a previous opinion column in The News-Herald. “They will sell their homes quickly, remove their children from the schools and no longer spend money in our community.

“Hotels and restaurants also would be impacted not only because of the employee job loss, but also due to the major projects at the plant that require vendors to stay in Lake County for extended periods of time,” Cirino stated in that same column. “The county would suffer lower sales taxes and bed tax revenue as well.”

It is estimated that the annual vendor spending by the plant is close to $64 million just in Lake County.

“If the plant shuts down, that spending goes away,” Cirino wrote.

In conclusion, we believe that the Ohio Clean Energy Jobs Alliance has strong potential to help bring about a public policy solution to ensure the future survival of the Perry and Davis-Besse nuclear power plants. We encourage this group to continue working hard and hope it achieves a successful outcome.