Sierra Club Applauds Gov. DeWine for Signing Bill to Repeal Bailout of the OVEC Coal Plants

Contact

Megan Wittman, megan.wittman@sierraclub.org

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Today, Governor DeWine signed HB15 into law, repealing the OVEC coal plant bailout within the omnibus energy bill. Since its passage in 2019, the infamously corrupt House Bill 6 has cost Ohio electric customers over $474,000,000– nearly half a million dollars every day to cover the financially-failing OVEC coal plants and bad business decisions of the Ohio electric utilities that own the plants.

In response, Neil Waggoner, Midwest Beyond Coal Campaign Manager, issued the following statement:

“The OVEC bailout has not only been a massive financial burden for Ohio electric customers, but a dark shadow over our state’s reputation. As a result of HB6, for the last six years, customers have had to pay nearly half a million dollars a day after being forced to shoulder the responsibility of bad business decisions by Ohio electric utilities. Ohioans have long been fed up with keeping this expensive, no benefit, indefensible bailout in place. We appreciate the nearly unanimous bipartisan support in the legislature to repeal the bailout, and Gov. DeWine’s swift action to finally put an end to this.”

###

About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.