Voters near FirstEnergy HQ, Davis-Besse and Perry nuclear plants reject bailouts

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Oct. 5, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- API Ohio today released a new poll showing that the overwhelming majority of voters in Summit, Lake and Ottawa counties oppose legislation that would allow FirstEnergy to charge its customers a special fee to increase funding to its nuclear plants. The counties, where this poll was conducted, surround FirstEnergy's headquarters and its Davis-Besse and Perry nuclear plants.

"This poll further confirms that Ohio voters are firmly against providing a bailout to FirstEnergy's nuclear plants in the state," said API Ohio Executive Director Chris Zeigler. "Picking winners and losers in the electricity markets by providing bailouts to nuclear plants, or any energy facility, at the expense of consumers would diminish the benefits that clean natural gas has brought to Ohio. We do not oppose nuclear power. What we oppose are legislative schemes that subsidize one form of energy over another, and create an uneven playing field that costs consumers, hurts manufacturers and threatens the state's economy."

Key poll results:

• 81 percent of voters oppose FirstEnergy's proposal in the Ohio legislature to charge customers a special fee to increase revenue in order to continue to operate its nuclear plants.
• 81 percent of voters agree that Ohio consumers should not have to pay a special fee to bailout FirstEnergy's nuclear power plants.
• 70 percent of voters agree that the Ohio electricity market should be based on the marketplace, and not on whether the state government allows one particular corporation to charge its customers more to sustain its electric power generation.
• 66 percent of voters believe consumers benefit when electricity generators compete to provide electricity, rather than if the state government imposes a special fee to sustain one particular electric power generator.
• 93 percent of voters believe the state legislature should require a nuclear energy company to open its financial records before deciding whether to allow it to charge a special fee to bailout its nuclear power plants.

The poll results were released on a press conference call on Thursday morning. The opening statement and results of the poll are available on API's website.

API Ohio is a division of API, which represents all segments of America's oil and natural gas industry. Its more than 625 members include large integrated companies, as well as exploration and production, refining, marketing, pipeline, and marine businesses, and service and supply firms. They provide most of the nation's energy and are backed by a growing grassroots movement of more than 40 million Americans.

Methodology

The study was conducted from September 21-October 1, 2017, by telephone by Harris Poll on behalf of the American Petroleum Institute among 601 Ohio registered voters in Lake County, Summit County and Ottawa County, with a sampling error of +/- 4.0 percent. A full methodology is available upon request.

"What America is Thinking on Energy Issues" is a public opinion series provided by API, offering data to inform policy discussions and ensure policymakers and others know Americans' perspectives on key energy issues.

SOURCE American Petroleum Institute