Coalition Against Nuclear Bailouts Press Clips

Thanks to David Hughes of Citizen Power for sharing these press clips:

From: Steve Kratz [mailto:kratz@thebravogroup.com]
Sent: Thursday, June 13, 2019 1:32 PM
To: Steven Kratz
Subject: CANB Press Clips

Utility Dive - BRIEF
As Ohio Senate nears vote on nuke subsidy bill, PJM finds closing plants could save $1.6B
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/as-ohio-senate-nears-vote-on-nuke-subsidy-bill-pjm-finds-closing-plants-co/556397/
Catherine Morehouse
June 10, 2019

A report from the PJM Interconnection finds that retiring current nuclear plants as scheduled in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Ohio and adding new natural gas and renewables would save $1.6 billion and 4.3 million tons of carbon, assuming 11.9 GW of coal also retires across the PJM region.

The report lays out three scenarios and finds that keeping the nuclear plants online would save consumers $2.1 billion and 19.4 million tons of carbon, but does not include the cost of subsidizing the plants, which is expected to cost $190 million annually through 2026. It was presented to the Ohio state Senate Committee on Energy and Public Utilities Wednesday as the Senate tees up its vote on the state's coal and nuclear support bill, which passed the House in May.

House Bill 6 has been criticized for providing subsidies to First Energy Solutions' nuclear plants and critics note the report doesn't account for those subsidies or other potential impacts of the bill. Other critics say the report doesn't value nuclear enough by not accounting for the social cost of carbon. But PJM intentionally left out the cost of subsidies because "we don't control that number ... we leave that to others," PJM spokesperson Jeffrey Shields told Utility Dive.

Utility Dive

DOE has no 'regulatory or statutory ability' to create coal, nuclear bailout, says Perry
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/doe-has-no-regulatory-or-statutory-ability-to-create-coal-nuclear-bailou/556687/
Catherine Morehouse
June 12, 2019

The Department of Energy (DOE) does not have the "regulatory or statutory ability" to create economic incentives for coal and nuclear plants, DOE Secretary Rick Perry told reporters on Tuesday at the 2019 Edison Electric Institute conference in Philadelphia. "FERC would be where I would direct your attention," he said, adding that he was also not aware of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission or the White House making any progress on plans to bail out the fuels. "We're pretty much at the same place we were 12 months ago," he said, though the administration "continue[s] to talk ... very openly" about "an all of the above strategy."

The secretary's comments come three months after the White House Council of Economic Advisors released a report to the president calling for a strategic electricity reserve to save uneconomic plants. And earlier in March, Perry had told reporters a coal and nuclear bailout was not entirely off the table.

Electric Light & Power
EEI names Exelon Corp. CEO its new chairman
https://www.elp.com/articles/2019/06/eei-names-exelon-corp-ceo-its-new-chairman.html
06/11/2019

Christopher M. Crane, president and CEO of Chicago-based Exelon Corp., today was elected chairman of the board of the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), the national association of investor-owned electric companies. Also elected were two vice chairmen: Ben Fowke, chairman, president, and CEO of Minneapolis-based Xcel Energy, and Gerard M. “Gerry” Anderson, chairman and CEO of Detroit-based DTE Energy. The announcement was made during EEI’s annual convention in Philadelphia. The Institute’s chairmanship rotates on an annual basis, and Crane succeeds Lynn J. Good, chairman, president, and CEO of Charlotte-based Duke Energy.

“On behalf of the entire EEI team, I would like to extend our sincere appreciation to outgoing EEI Chairman Lynn Good for her leadership throughout this past year,” said EEI President Tom Kuhn. “Lynn’s advocacy on key policy issues helped to position our industry for the future, and her focus on customers was instrumental in redefining and transforming the customer experience to ensure that EEI member companies can deliver more tailored energy solutions that meet the unique needs of our diverse customers.”

Power Engineering Magazine

DOE’s Perry: Coal, Nuclear Must Be Saved
https://www.powermag.com/does-perry-coal-nuclear-must-be-saved/
06/12/2019 | Darrell Proctor

Energy Secretary Rick Perry said coal and nuclear power must be part of the nation’s “all of the above” energy strategy, but the Department of Energy (DOE) does not have the “regulatory or statutory ability” to establish economic incentives for struggling U.S. coal and nuclear plants. Perry, who addressed the Edison Electric Institute’s (EEI’s) annual convention in Philadelphia on June 11, said the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) would take the lead on creating incentives for any energy resource. Perry spoke with media after his address to convention delegates.

“FERC would be where I would direct your attention,” Perry said when discussing bailouts for coal-fired and nuclear power generation. He said he is not aware that FERC is working on any specific incentive plans. The DOE in 2017 told FERC to mandate that competitive power markets put in place rules to “accurately price” what the DOE calls “fuel-secure” generation.

State Impact
PJM, nation’s largest power grid operator, grapples with carbon pricing as states diverge on climate policies
https://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/2019/06/13/pjm-nations-largest-power-grid-grapples-with-carbon-pricing-as-states-diverge-on-climate-policies/
Marie Cusick
JUNE 13, 2019 | 6:00 AM

PJM Interconnection, the nation’s largest grid operator, manages the flow of wholesale electricity in all or part of 13 Mid-Atlantic and Midwestern states and the District of Columbia. It’s a job that’s become even more challenging recently, as states pursue divergent energy policies — from carbon pricing to creating special subsidies for nuclear plants. PJM is now trying to walk a fine line between respecting states’ rights and figuring out how to incorporate those polices into its wholesale electricity market.

‘It’s gets really complicated’ It’s one reason why PJM launched a new senior task force in April to examine state carbon policies. A central focus when the group meets later this summer will be “leakage” — an issue that can drive up costs and undermine the very climate goals states want to achieve.

In Ohio.