GOP plan to provide $1.5 billion bailout to Ohio nuclear and coal plants faces stiff opposition

TOLEDO, Ohio — A financial rescue for Ohio's nuclear plants and two coal-fired plants that will force the state's residents and businesses to fork over roughly $1.5 billion is galvanizing environmentalists and some conservatives.

Advocacy groups and investors, incensed by what they call a bailout and how it will diminish the state's natural gas and green energy options, are looking at mounting a campaign to overturn it and targeting Republicans who backed it. Organizations representing the state's seniors and manufacturing plants are upset, too.

The upheaval comes as the Trump administration continues with its pledge to boost the nuclear and coal industries by easing regulations and guaranteeing loans for two new commercial reactors. But the fallout in Ohio shows how attempting to influence the market can be risky and alienate a wide swath of voters.

"We're getting involved in an area where the government has no business sticking their nose," said state Rep. Craig Riedel, a conservative from northwestern Ohio. "What we did with this bill is we absolutely tipped the scales to the nuclear plants."

Read more: https://www.stltoday.com/business/local/gop-plan-to-provide-billion-bailout-to-ohio-nuclear-and/article_81d36e2e-90d7-5d33-9039-f6e3e2f0d5cc.html