The owner of Ohio’s nuclear plants has taken the next step in its plans to shut down those facilities as part of its bankruptcy filing. But FirstEnergy says there’s still time to reverse course.
FirstEnergy Solutions, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy that manages the company's power generation, has sent a letter to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission saying that it plans to start shutting down the Davis Besse and Perry plants -- as well as one in Pennsylvania -- by May 2020.
The company says it can no longer operate the plants without financial help.
FirstEnergy has been pushing state lawmakers to allow for rate increases on electric bills. Opponents say that would be a bailout for a utility that made bad investments.
FirstEnergy is also requesting the Department of Energy to intervene using the Federal Power Act. The utility argues that this is necessary for fuel security and diversity.
