Ohioans: It's not too late to sign the anti-nuke/coal bailout petition!

It's not too late to sign the petition

If you would like to sign the petition to put the repeal of HB 6 on the ballot, here are some options:

Kent

Saturday, October 19,  9:30 am - 12:30 pm

Haymakers Farmers Market 

Franklin Ave - Below Haymaker Parkway Bridge

Kent, OH 44240

Cleveland

Wednesday-Friday, October 16-18,  10:00 am - 9:00 pm

Ohio Citizen Action Cleveland office 

614 W Superior Ave., Suite 1200 

Cleveland, OH  44113

Wednesday, 10/16/19,  6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Cuyahoga Progressive Caucus 

11910 Detroit Avenue 

Lakewood, OH  44107

 

Saturday, 10/19/19, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Cuyahoga Progressive Caucus 

11910 Detroit Avenue 

Lakewood, OH  44107

 

Saturday, 10/19/19, 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Jospeh Gallagher School

In the Reading Garden

6601 Franklin Blvd.

Cleveland, OH  44102

 

Sunday, 10/20/19, 9:30 am - 11:00 am

Stone Oven Cafe

2267 Lee Rd.

Cleveland Heights, OH  44118

 

Sunday, 10/20/19, Beginning at 11:15 am

Dover Congressional United Church of Christ

2239 Dover Center Road

Westlake, OH  44145

 

Cincinnati

Wednesday, 10/16/19,  4:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Ohio Citizen Action Cincinnati office 

2330 Victory Parkway

Cincinnati, OH  45206

Columbus

Friday, 10/18/19,  4:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Land Grant Brewing Company 

424 W Town St

Columbus, OH  43215

Dayton/Beavercreek

Wednesday through Saturday, 10/15/19- 10/20/19,  10:00 am - 4:00 pm

IRCMS office 

70 Birch Alley, Suite 240

Beavercreek, OH  45440

Please pass the word through your networks to anyone who might want to sign.

Thanks for your support and your interest in going out of your way to help repeal HB 6.

[Thanks to our friends and colleagues at Ohio Citizen Action for compiling this list of petition-signing opportunities above!]

Nuclear plant owner warns it may resume closings

As reported by the Toledo Blade.

As the article reports, FirstEnergy has stated: 

… “Unfortunately, any additional negative news from the courts or the successful submission of petitions to put a referendum on the ballot will destabilize the financial situation of those plants,” reads a statement released by the company.

“This will force the company to move back on a path to deactivation if alternative measures to provide needed financial support do not arise quickly,” it said. …

Clearly, FirstEnergy is nervous about the the referendum opposing House Bill 6, as well as risks of pending litigation.

Thank you to Tim Judson of NIRS for calling this article to our attention.

FirstEnergy Solutions restructuring plan wins bankruptcy court approval

As reported by Seeking Alpha.

FirstEnergy Solutions’ Restructuring Plan Gets Bankruptcy Court Approval

FES wins judge’s backing after making concessions to union workers

As reported by the Wall Street Journal (the article is behind a pay wall).

EDF: Ohio Supreme Court paves the way for future expansion of energy efficiency

[Please note, HB6, House Bill 6, is the very controversial Ohio state law, bailing out old atomic reactors and coal plants, to the tune of $1.1 billion of ratepayer money. HB6 also gutted Ohio state law establishing renewable portfolio and efficiency standards...]

      Retweet @EDFEnergyEX

·         If HB6 is overturned, this new ruling by the Ohio Supreme Court will give utilities the freedom to implement their energy efficiency programs broadly and unhindered by an arbitrary cap. https://www.edf.org/ZUNw  

https://www.edf.org/media/ohio-supreme-court-paves-way-future-expansion-energy-efficiency

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Erica Fick, (512)-691-3406, efick@edf.org 

Ohio Supreme Court paves the way for future expansion of energy efficiency
EDF statement from John Finnigan, Lead Counsel, Energy Transition Strategy

(COLUMBUS, OH – October 15, 2019) In a landmark decision that could help expand the application of energy efficiency statewide, the Ohio Supreme Court today overturned a 2017 ruling by the state Public Utilities Commission establishing a first-of-its-kind cost cap on energy efficiency program spending for utility giant, FirstEnergy.

“Today’s Ohio Supreme Court decision affirms the true value of energy efficiency, which is widely regarded as one of the best energy solutions, because it is non-polluting and less expensive than other generation resources that require major capital investments and ongoing fuel and maintenance costs,” said John Finnigan, lead counsel for Environmental Defense Fund’s Energy Program. “From a legal perspective, this is an important ruling because it upholds the notion that the legislature has primacy in crafting energy policy; regulators can’t apply a cost cap where the statute does not expressly provide for one.”

Today’s ruling comes after Environmental Defense Fund and other parties appealed this decision by the PUCO, arguing that the state’s energy efficiency statute – enacted in 2008 by the legislature – does not contain a cost cap, and therefore the PUCO does not have the authority to enforce one on FirstEnergy, or any of the other four utilities in the state. In its filing, EDF pointed out that each energy efficiency program must pass a cost-effectiveness test, where the utility must demonstrate that program benefits outweigh the costs.

However, this new ruling cannot technically do anything for the Ohioans or the environment till HB6 – which eviscerated Ohio’s energy efficiency programs when passed this summer – is overturned. There is a referendum campaign underway, and if successful, this new ruling by the Supreme Court will give utilities the freedom to implement their energy efficiency programs broadly and unhindered by an arbitrary cap on costs exceeding 4% of their total revenues. [emphasis added]

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Environmental Defense Fund (edf.org), a leading international nonprofit organization, creates transformational solutions to the most serious environmental problems. EDF links science, economics, law, and innovative private-sector partnerships. Connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, and our Energy Program blog.