Nuclear Powers Pennsylvania Says Leadership Shown in Ohio is Needed in PA to Preserve Nuclear Fleet

HARRISBURG, PA – Leaders of Nuclear Powers Pennsylvania reacted to news that the Ohio legislature today approved legislation to preserve Ohio’s nuclear fleet. Ohio joins New Jersey, New York, Illinois and Connecticut as states that have recognized the significant environmental and economic contributions nuclear energy makes in their communities. Gov. Mike DeWine says he will sign the legislation into law.

“Ohio’s political leaders took bold action to keep their plants up and running, delivering safe, reliable and affordable carbon-free energy to their citizens,” said Martin Williams, NPP Co-Chair and the National State Legislative Coordinator for the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers. “Yet here in Pennsylvania, our politicians have made a decision to allow our nuclear plants to close. At the same time workers in Ohio are celebrating, building and construction trades workers in Pennsylvania are missing out on what should have been an important paycheck working at Three Mile Island near Harrisburg. TMI should have been going into a routine refueling outage this September, employing as many as 1,500 skilled laborers for up to a month. Electricians, pipefitters, insulators, boilermakers and other tradesmen and women rely on these jobs. Instead, TMI will be closing forever, long before its license to operate is set to expire.

“Pennsylvania’s political leaders still have a chance to limit the damage done in Pennsylvania. While it’s too late for Three Mile Island, the state’s four other nuclear plants – including Beaver Valley Generating Station outside of Pittsburgh that is slated to prematurely close beginning in 2021 – must be kept open. Pennsylvania’s legislative leaders and Gov. Wolf should look to Ohio and those other states, whose leaders on all sides of the aisle, already have their fixes in place to find creative solutions that work here in Pennsylvania. In Ohio, lawmakers understood it’s not about finding a short-term solution that benefits just one operator, but rather fixing a flawed energy policy that makes it all but impossible for nuclear energy to compete. And when nuclear energy is a part of the mix, you can keep energy prices stable for all consumers, assure that jobs are not lost, and do all we can to prevent recent advances we’ve made in reducing greenhouse gases from reversing course.

“Pennsylvania’s politicians have an opportunity come this fall to do the right thing, and pass common-sense legislation that prevents the unnecessary closure of more nuclear plants in the Keystone State.”

About Nuclear Powers Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania’s nuclear energy industry provides millions of families and businesses with safe, reliable and carbon-free electricity. Nuclear Powers Pennsylvania is a statewide coalition that works to educate all Pennsylvanians about the economic and environmental benefits of nuclear energy and the industry’s positive impact on local communities throughout the Keystone State.

Learn more at www.NuclearPowersPennsylvania.com. Follow NPP on Twitter @NuclearPowersPA.