Governor Kasich has been pretty much silent, publicly, about the proposed (and expensive) nuclear plant bailouts sought by FirstEnergy. Not any more. This week, at the ribbon cutting for a 900 megawatt gas-fired generator in Oregon, a suburb of Toledo, the governor said he opposes the so-called “zero emissions credits.” He said the nukes are the company’s responsibility, not the state’s. FirstEnergy and its legislative allies continue to push for passage of the bailout legislation this fall. The governor’s public position is a big deal, and welcomed by Ohio’s electricity consumers, whose access to innovative, affordable market rates has been constrained by above-market riders approved by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. The Oregon plant is one of 10 gas-powered plants under development in Ohio. As the governor said, the markets are working to attract new investment in new technology in Ohio. 8/23/2017