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Ohio regulators decline to force FirstEnergy to hire an independent auditor
The order agrees that spending should be open to review but first requires the company to review itself. This article provided by Eye on Ohio, the nonprofit, nonpartisan Ohio Center for Journalism in partnership with the nonprofit Energy News Network. Please join our free mailing list or the mailing list for the Energy New Network…
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HB 6 costs go well beyond claimed harm to public trust
Here’s what’s at stake as Ohio lawmakers debate whether and how to repeal the bailout law at the heart of an alleged $60 million conspiracy case. This article provided by Eye on Ohio, the nonprofit, nonpartisan Ohio Center for Journalism in partnership with the nonprofit Energy News Network. Please join our free mailing list or…
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Murray Energy’s limited disclosure in Ohio conspiracy case leaves big questions unanswered
The for-profit corporate structure of Hardworking Ohioans, Inc. and other groups precludes transparency on how companies use money to influence energy policy This article provided by Eye on Ohio, the nonprofit, nonpartisan Ohio Center for Journalism, in partnership with the nonprofit Energy News Network. Help us provide more public service reporting by joining our free…
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HB 6 repeal would address only part of Ohio lawmakers’ recent actions to slow renewables
But a complete repeal is needed as a minimum to undo the bill’s gutting of the clean energy standards, advocates say. This article provided by Eye on Ohio, the nonprofit, nonpartisan Ohio Center for Journalism in partnership with the nonprofit Energy News Network. Please join our free mailing list or the mailing list for Energy…
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In Ohio’s coal country, pandemic pushes unemployment rate from bad to worse
As the novel coronavirus spread, Appalachian Ohio saw the state’s highest percentages of people out of work. By Kathiann M. Kowalski Ohio’s coal mining counties have been hit even harder as unemployment surged following the country’s novel coronavirus outbreak. As the statewide unemployment rate moved from 4.7% in February to 5.6% in March, counties in…
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Utilities, gas industry coordinate to oppose Ohio village’s clean energy goal
Emails obtained by a utility watchdog group reveal push by Dominion Energy and allies against a local resolution. By Kathiann M. Kowalski Dominion Energy’s opposition to an Ohio village’s clean energy proposal appears to be part of a larger trend nationwide in which gas utilities are becoming more active at the local government level. Unlike…
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Dark Money Dominated Ohio’s Nuclear Subsidy Saga
FirstEnergy Solutions paid nearly $2 million to at least one group, but most other data remains hidden. By Kathiann M. Kowalski After-the-fact filings show that FirstEnergy’s generation subsidiary paid nearly $2 million to Generation Now, one of the special interest groups that orchestrated ads, political donations and other efforts behind Ohio’s nuclear and coal bailout.…
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Campaign contributions pay off for Ohio utilities and coal interests
Nuclear and coal bailout is the latest in a line of favorable policy actions that shield noncompetitive plants from competition. By Kathiann M. Kowalski Utility, nuclear and coal interests are big players in Ohio politics, giving about $3 million to Ohio political campaigns in 2018, according to data from the National Institute on Money in…
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Utilities’ affiliate files to compete as a broker as an Ohio bill aims to reduce corporate separation requirements
FirstEnergy foray into energy brokering raises issues of fair competition By Kathiann M. Kowalski A FirstEnergy subsidiary is seeking permission from Ohio regulators to advise customers on which electricity suppliers they should choose. The company’s application to operate as an energy broker and aggregator is an apparent reversal for FirstEnergy, which spent years legally separating…
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Analysis of state contracts to plug orphaned wells reveals that cleanup costs might creep into the billions
By Mark Olalde Plugging the myriad orphaned oil and gas wells around Ohio costs, on average, more than $110,000 per well, according to a new analysis of Department of Natural Resources data. The research was pulled from contracts the state awarded in 2019 by the ARO Working Group, a network that studies the decommissioning of…
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