Stephen Joyce reports that Connecticut and Ohio could be the next states to grant financial concessions to the nuclear power industry despite fierce opposition from a coalition of oil, natural gas, manufacturing and environmental interests. Lawmakers in those two states this fall are expected to revive nuclear bills, which could benefit FirstEnergy Corp. and Dominion Energy Inc. Those moves would follow the enactment of policies by Illinois and New York that essentially provide ratepayer-financed subsidies to keep struggling nuclear power plants from being shut down even though they are licensed to operate for another decade or more.
The debate over the subsidies has the potential to impact the push for increased use of clean, renewable energy sources as well as influence state energy policies, including the reliance that states place on nuclear generators. The issue has surfaced now primarily because low natural gas prices have flipped formerly profitable nuclear plants into ones that are currently (and temporarily) not economically viable. Marvin Fertel, the Nuclear Energy Institute former president and chief executive officer, warned a 2016 conference that 15 to 20 reactors face premature shutdown within 10 years due to economic pressures.
NEI spokesman John Keeley told Bloomberg BNA that figure remains accurate. Opponents (and adversaries from natural gas and renewables) of nuclear subsidies are preparing to fight expected proposals in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Manufacturers, speaking through their trade associations, say the subsidies increase their cost of electricity because they have been associated with natural gas, coal, renewable for some time. but notice the not so subtle bias ...
Original URL withdrawn? https://www.bna.com/nuclear-subsidies-push-n73014461986/
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