(Oak Harbor, OH) Top executives with First Energy calls it just a matter of time before the Davis Besse nuclear plant closes.
First Energy's chief nuclear officer told an Ohio Senate committee Thursday that deregulation is among the reasons the utility's nuclear fleet is in danger of shutting down. The electric company wants a $2.50 per month tariff charged to customer's bills to keep aging plants like Davis Besse operating.
But the chair of the Senate public utilities committee plans to hold no further hearings and the bill won't be voted out of committee.
First Energy's chief financial officer has also said publicly nuclear facilities cannot compete with cheaper natural gas plants. Davis-Besse is set to undergo what could be its final refueling in April, which usually lasts 18 months to two years.