- Connecticut bill allows Millstone plant to enter zero-carbon auction
- Pennsylvania legislature passes resolution in support of DOE’s FERC rulemaking
- Ohio General Assembly holds hearings on ZEN program
As the nuclear industry pushes to improve flawed electricity markets, positive developments in Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Ohio are providing reasons for optimism.
This week, Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy signed Senate Bill 1501, which properly values zero-carbon electricity generation like nuclear, after it passed the state’s House of Representatives with a 75-66 vote last week. The measure levels the playing field for Dominion Energy’s Millstone Power Station by allowing it to bid into markets with other zero-carbon energy sources like wind, solar and hydropower.
Connecticut is the third state, following New York and Illinois, to take action to properly reward nuclear plants for benefits like resiliency that electricity markets in those states failed to recognize.
NEI President and Chief Executive Officer Maria Korsnick lauded the effort to preserve the value that Millstone provides.
“Gov. Malloy and the state legislature deserve praise for their decision to support Dominion’s Millstone Power Station and the 1,500 Connecticut residents who work there,” she said.
“By opening the door to Millstone having equal access to auctions open to other non-emitting sources of electricity, the state will help preserve $1.5 billion in economic activity, grid resiliency and reliability, and clean air that all residents of the state can enjoy.”
Millstone’s two reactors provide 98 percent of Connecticut’s emissions-free electricity and prevent the release of 8.3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually. The plant supports 7,300 jobs in New England and generates an average annual economic benefit of more than $1.3 billion for the region.
“The importance of this asset to both the state and the region cannot be overstated,” Malloy said in a press release.
Dominion Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Tom Farrell thanked the governor for his support for the measure.
“We are grateful to the Malloy administration for its work in negotiating the current form of the legislation. It provides a path forward to retain 1,500 well-paying jobs and Millstone’s substantial environmental, energy, and economic benefits for Connecticut,” Farrell said.
Pennsylvania, Ohio Round Out
Busy October for Nuclear Energy
The last week of October brought more state-level action in support of nuclear energy as well. The Pennsylvania General Assembly passed two resolutions Oct. 25 in both the House and Senate that encourage the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to enact market reforms to ensure baseload electricity generation.
Exelon Corp. praised the overwhelming support that the state legislature offered.
“We commend members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly for recognizing the need for wholesale market reforms that fairly value baseload power generators that provide reliable, 24/7 electricity such as nuclear power plants,” the company said.
Finally, the Ohio Senate’s Public Utilities Committee held the first in a series of hearings on a revised Clean Jobs bill, a zero-emissions nuclear resource (ZEN) program that mirrors measures passed in Illinois and New York last year.
Korsnick applauded the growing momentum in these key states, urging FERC to pursue the U.S. Department of Energy’s directive in tandem with these developments.
“Connecticut is the third state to rebalance its electricity marketplace, joining New York and Illinois, which took their own legislative paths to preserving nuclear power plants in 2016. Now attention should turn to Columbus, where leaders in Ohio are considering another legislative remedy to keep nuclear plants operating and the communities they call home thriving,” Korsnick said.
“These are just the sort of state-specific solutions that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission needs to respect as it considers Energy Secretary Rick Perry’s directive to develop and implement reforms to fully compensate generation resources necessary to maintain grid reliability and resiliency.”