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Utility corruption questions continue as HB 6 trial nears
This monthly recap provides updates on Ohio’s ongoing utility corruption scandal and is a joint project of Eye on Ohio, the nonprofit, nonpartisan Ohio Center for Journalism, and the nonprofit Energy News Network. Court orders last week rejected a motion to dismiss criminal charges against former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and confirmed he will stand […]
Cleveland pilot project provides rooftop solar for low-income residents
CLEVELAND – The new year is bringing energy bill savings to Kassy Allen and others in Cleveland’s first rooftop solar program designed specifically for low- and moderate-income families. City leaders and others joined Allen’s family for an official switch-throwing ceremony at her year-old home on Dec. 16. Despite gray skies and chilly temperatures, newly installed […]
Climate solutions for Great Lakes power grid include better planning, transmission
As the Great Lakes region experiences warmer and wetter weather, advocates say the time is now to prepare the electric grid for climate change. Proposed federal rules could jumpstart a formal process for doing that — if regulators decide to finalize them next year. Here’s what advocates, regulators and other grid experts say about the […]
Ohio’s ‘Frackgate’ controversy predicted backlash to drilling under state parks
Barkcamp State Park is among the few places where visitors can experience Ohio’s forests as they existed before European settlement. Once the site of a historic logging camp, today it’s a destination for camping, fishing, and other outdoor recreation. It’s also a place that could see new pressure for oil and gas development after Ohio […]
Ohio ‘green’ natural gas bill motivated by ESG investing concerns, lawmaker says
The author of an Ohio amendment that would classify natural gas as “green energy” said he hopes the legislation can help companies meet ESG investing standards. ESG refers to environmental, social and governance practices. ESG investing generally limits financing choices to companies or funds that meet certain criteria for those categories. The practice has been […]
Householder trial set to begin next month
This story providing updates on Ohio’s ongoing utility corruption scandal is a joint project of Eye on Ohio, the nonprofit, nonpartisan Ohio Center for Journalism, and the nonprofit Energy News Network. Parties are in the home stretch of trial preparation in the federal government’s criminal case against former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and others. The […]
Ohio’s largest coal plant to change coal ash handling after U.S. EPA denial
The operator of Ohio’s largest coal-fired power plant says it plans to switch to a different waste handling method to comply with a federal order to stop using an on-site coal ash pond. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last month denied a request by the James M. Gavin Power Plant for extra time to comply […]
Why Ohio’s top oil and gas producing counties continue to lag in jobs
A decade after the start of Ohio’s shale gas boom, counties with the most oil and gas production continue to have higher-than-average unemployment rates. A review of state data shows that unemployment rates in Belmont, Carroll, Guernsey, Harrison, Jefferson, Monroe, and Noble Counties have exceeded the statewide average every year since 2010, casting doubt on […]
Eye on Utilities: Will HB 6 impact the 2022 election?
This update on Ohio’s ongoing utility corruption scandal and is a joint project of Eye on Ohio, the nonprofit, nonpartisan Ohio Center for Journalism, and the nonprofit Energy News Network. It was originally published by Energy News Network. Concerns about corruption factor into multiple races as early voting is underway in Ohio. Other developments in the […]
As Ohio regulators sit on coal plant subsidy cases, costs could rack up for ratepayers
Although Ohio regulators have paused four FirstEnergy cases dealing with House Bill 6, they could still take action in cases dealing with the two 1950s-era coal plants that were subsidized by the law at the heart of Ohio’s ongoing corruption scandal. Yet the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio has made no rulings in those cases […]
Six key energy questions that winners of Ohio’s high court races will decide
This story is a joint project of the nonprofit Energy News Network and Eye on Ohio, the nonprofit, nonpartisan Ohio Center for Journalism. Please join the free mailing lists for Eye on Ohio or the Energy News Network, as this helps provide more public service reporting. While much of the attention on this year’s races […]
Dark money helped utilities subsidize coal plants, delaying climate action at ratepayers’ expense
This story originated from the Energy News Network and Eye on Ohio and is part of ‘Climate & Democracy,’ a series from the global journalism collaboration Covering Climate Now. It has been three years since Ohio lawmakers first introduced the power plant bailout legislation that is now at the heart of the largest corruption case […]