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 A General Electric employee rewires a generator at one of the retired units at the Eastlake power plant. EASTLAKE — “FirstEnergy’s decision to close some of its smaller coal-fired power plants rather upgrade their pollution controls may ultimately make the high-voltage grid in Northeast Ohio more stable.
This is because some of the doomed generators won’t exactly be going away. Instead, they will be re-purposed — rewired and spun by electric motors instead of a steam turbine.
After removing the boilers and steam turbines at two of the five generating units at its Eastlake power plant, the company is rewiring the generators to produce volts rather watts. And those volts will be pushed into the grid.”
— John Funk, Cleveland Plain Dealer
link to article
 —Environmentalists say Maumee Bay, near Toledo, would have been a better target for FirstEnergy conservation work. CHICAGO, IL — “When power plant operators commit pollution violations, they are often required by the Environmental Protection Agency to do mitigation work on environmentally sensitive lands.
Critics, however, say vague rules often let the violators choose projects based on convenience, rather than impact.
In 2007, oil leaked from a storage tank at FirstEnergy’s Bayshore power plant on the shore of Maumee Bay, on the western edge of Lake Erie near Toledo. The company said about five gallons of oil made it into Lake Erie.
A Clean Water Act settlement related to that and two other small oil spills at FirstEnergy plants means that the company will pay a $125,000 fine and donate 200 acres of wetlands along Lake Erie in northeast Ohio to a land conservancy.
The land targeted is about 60 miles from two of the plants that had the oil spills, in Cleveland and Lorain. And it’s more than 150 miles from Bayshore.”
— Kari Lydersen, Midwest Energy News
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CLEVELAND — “Tony Alexander, CEO of FirstEnergy Corp., says his company had no choice under state law but to buy high-priced renewable energy credits and pass the costs on to customers.
But two independent audits highlighted by Plain Dealer reporter John Funk raise serious doubts about that, and have led the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to call for hearings on the matter beginning in November.
A financial audit by Goldenberg Schneider LPA of Cincinnati points out that no Ohio utility charged customers more than FirstEnergy’s companies — the Illuminating Co., Ohio Edison and Toledo Edison — to pay for renewable energy credits. Those credits are among the requirements of a 2008 law that says Ohio utilities must provide a certain percentage of power from renewable energy or pay for renewable energy credits. They are fined if they don’t comply.”
— editorial, Cleveland Plain Dealer
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 a FirstEnergy substation COLUMBUS — “The Ohio Consumers’ Counsel and its allies think consumers should not have to pay for what they consider FirstEnergy Corp.’s bungling of renewable-energy requirements.
The OCC and a small army of consumer, environmental and utility competitors are challenging the state’s approval of FirstEnergy’s latest rate plan, partly because the two-year extension of the existing plan makes consumers pay for the company’s decision to buy credits for renewable energy rather than pay fines.
Ohio law requires utilities to generate a percentage of power through renewable energy or buy credits from people and organizations that do.
The cost of renewable-energy credits can be passed on to consumers, but fines cannot. Rather than pay fines, FirstEnergy bought credits at prices higher than anywhere in the country, before or since, an independent audit found.”
John Funk, Plain Dealer
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 FirstEnergy Corp. plans to operate its coal-fired W.H. Sammis power plant only when needed. The huge power plant on the Ohio River generates nearly as much electricity as two large nuclear power plants. AKRON — “In about a month FirstEnergy Corp. will idle one of its largest coal-burning power plants.
The W.H. Sammis power plant only will run when needed, beginning about Sept. 16, said Todd Schneider, company spokesman.
There will be no layoffs, he said, but only 100 to 130 of the plant’s 440 employees will remain at Sammis. The others will be transferred to other FirstEnergy power plants.
‘It’s because of the slow economy and the historic low market prices for electricity,’ said Schneider. Sammis will remain on a ‘dispatch-only-when-needed footing’ indefinitely at this point, he said. ‘It depends on what the market does,’ he said.”
— John Funk, The Plain Dealer
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 Little Blue Run coal ash pond stands out vividly beneath the Ohio River in this 2002 image from space. SHIPPINGPORT, PA — “Little Blue Run’s operator, FirstEnergy, an electricity company based in Akron, Ohio, agreed to develop a plan to shut down the facility in a consent decree filed July 27 in federal court. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) characterized its agreement with FirstEnergy as a proactive move, to ensure the site “will not create an imminent and substantial endangerment to health or the environment.” But for years, neighbors have complained about the site’s impact on land, air, and water, detailing the site history and their woes, for example, at a 2010 federal hearing on whether the U.S. government should step in and regulate coal ash as a hazardous waste.
Environmentalists praised the plan to shut down the 1,700-acre (688-hectare) Little Blue Run, saying it was the first time a regulatory agency has taken such aggressive action on a coal ash pond. But the larger question of how the United States will address coal ash—at 140 million tons a year, one of the nation’s largest waste streams—is still unanswered. Nearly four years since a dam collapse in Kingston, Tennessee, spilled 1.1 billion gallons (4 billion liters) of coal ash sludge into the Emory and Clinch rivers and the surrounding environment, regulations are stalled at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).”
— Rachel Cernansky, National Geographic News
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O’Neill: Justices took donations from party in case before high court
 The complaint about Justices Robert Cupp, left, and Terrence O’Donnell is linked to FirstEnergy Corp. State Supreme Court candidate William M. O’Neill. COLUMBUS – “O’Neill said that Cupp and O’Donnell heard oral arguments on Jan. 17 in a case in which an attorney for Ohio Edison participated. Ohio Edison is owned by FirstEnergy Corp., which O’Neill said was “the real party of interest in the case.”
Two weeks after the oral arguments, O’Neill said, FirstEnergy, through its political-action committee, contributed $6,300 to each of the re-election campaigns of Cupp and O’Donnell. About four weeks later, on Feb. 29, Cupp and O’Donnell joined a majority opinion favoring Ohio Edison in the case, according to O’Neill.
‘At a minimum, these two justices should have either refused to accept any contributions from a party to a matter currently on their docket or recused themselves’ from the case, O’Neill said.
He told The Dispatch last night that he has asked Coughlan’s office for a full investigation, adding, ‘I dare them to say there’s no problem with taking a $6,300 contribution two weeks after hearing the case.’”
— Joe Hallett, Columbus Dispatch
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 State Senator Mike Skindell COLUMBUS — “Piggy-backing on an ethics complaint filed against two Republican justices of the Ohio Supreme Court, Democratic candidate Mike Skindell said today that he will not accept campaign money from any party in a case before the court.
Skindell, who is running against incumbent Justice Terrence O’Donnell, issued a statement outlining his position in the wake of a complaint filed Monday against O’Donnell and Justice Robert Cupp by retired Judge William M. O’Neill, who is running against Cupp in the Nov. 6 election.
…Skindell continued: ‘Sadly, Ohio voters hear that Justices O’Donnell and Cupp each took $6,300 from First Energy within two weeks of hearing a case involving a powerful utility, and their faith in the Supreme Court is further eroded. Was this really that hard of a call? Recuse yourself or refuse the money — case closed.’”
— Joe Hallett, Columbus Dispatch
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COLUMBUS – “Citing a concern that FirstEnergy customers could be subjected to electric bill increases from approximately 4% to 30 % for Cleveland Electric Illuminating, 4% to 26% for Toledo Edison and 4% to 27% for Ohio Edison, the Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel (OCC) and two major local government aggregation coalitions, representing all of FirstEnergy’s 1.9 million residential consumers, today filed briefs to ask the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) to reject the utilities’ proposed electric security plan and the settlement of other parties that support it. The high end of the potential electric bill increases would affect customers who use electricity for heating (known as all-electric customers).
The OCC, the Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council (representing 172 local communities in ten counties in Northeast Ohio) and the Northwest Ohio Aggregation Coalition (representing 11 local communities including Toledo and Lucas County) continued to make the case that FirstEnergy’s proposal, filed April 13, does not qualify for approval under state law. NOPEC and NOAC provide governmental aggregation service to about 700,000 residential and small business customers of FirstEnergy in all three of the FirstEnergy service territories in Ohio.”
— Mart Burkowitz, Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel
link to press release
COLUMBUS — “In a year notable for its barrage of presidential TV ads, a pair of Ohio utilities unaccustomed to high-profile spats is also taking to the airwaves in a dispute over future electric bills.
The rivalry involves Columbus-based American Electric Power’s request to raise rates as it recovers costs associated with switching to a deregulated market.
The utility company says the increases are necessary to cover contract obligations and protect its workforce, but competitors, led by Akron-based FirstEnergy, say the added charges will make it impossible to compete in AEP territory.
The often impermeable world of utility regulation has been translated for the airwaves into an ugly schoolyard squabble.
…Sandy Buchanan, executive director of Ohio Citizen Action, a watchdog group specializing in energy issues, said FirstEnergy did not raise rates — but did tack surcharges to cover its nuclear plants onto electric bills for years.
‘The way I read this is that AEP is saying, ‘Hey, wait a minute. FirstEnergy got this bailout, how come we can’t get a bailout now that we’ve decided to enter this retail market?” Buchanan said. ‘I mean, it wasn’t fair that FirstEnergy got a bailout, so is it now fair for AEP to get one? All of that is bad for consumers.’
— Julie Carr Smyth, Associated Press
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GREENE TWP, PA — “David is slinging with both hands, having begun separate legal actions against energy giants Chesapeake Appalachia and FirstEnergy.
…The Little Blue Regional Action Group is seeking to protect the land. Members, in the intent to sue notice, wrote that the coal ash deposit “has caused widespread pollution in local groundwater, springs and surface water.” The group intends to sue in federal court 90 days after delivering the notice to FirstEnergy.
The coalition challenging Chesapeake Appalachia wants to use the land. Plaintiffs said in court papers that by failing to develop wells on land leased between 2003 and 2008, Chesapeake is holding them “hostage.” The coalition also is challenging the validity of some of the leases.”
— Bill Utterback, Beaver County Times
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 American Electric Power plans to raze the Picway power plant near Lockbourne and two others in Ohio after closing them. COLUMBUS — “The shutdowns will eliminate toxic compounds, including mercury, along with pollutants that cause smog and soot. But what will become of these plants after the lights go out?
There are other environmental hazards at coal-fired plants, including asbestos, contaminated soil in coal yards, ash lagoons and landfills, and even old transformers filled with PCBs.
‘There’s going to be issues with groundwater contamination,’ said Nachy Kanfer, a deputy director for the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign, which supported the clean air regulations.
‘One of our problems is we don’t know everything that is at these sites.’
The ultimate fate of these plants is something that power companies and Ohio officials say they are just now starting to address. ”
— Spencer Hunt, Columbus Dispatch
link to article
CHARLESTON, WV — “Local citizens on Wednesday threatened to sue FirstEnergy Corp. over a huge coal-ash impoundment along the West Virginia-Pennsylvania border, alleging the operation is polluting area streams, tainting groundwater, and violating federal waste disposal requirements.
The Little Blue Regional Action Group sent Akron, Ohio-based FirstEnergy a formal notice of intent to sue the company over what is believed to be the largest such coal-ash disposal site in the nation.”
— Ken Ward Jr., Charleston Gazette
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AEP, FirstEnergy duke it out in ad war
 In this AEP advertisement, a man in a suit steals lemonade from a child and sets up his own stand. AEP likens that to FirstEnergy's approach. COLUMBUS — “The companies sell the same product and, for the first time, are competing for the same customers. For all of the humorous commercials, this battle is not child’s play. At the heart of the fight is this question: How much should AEP be able to charge for the power-generating capacity it maintains so that customers in its territory can always keep the lights on, even when use spikes to very high levels?
AEP is looking for an increase in such charges.
Otherwise, the company contends, competitors can buy capacity from AEP at artificially low rates and use it to undercut AEP’s price.FirstEnergy says it is playing by the rules and is forcing AEP to compete, while AEP says the setup has deep flaws that could be catastrophic to its business. The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio is considering AEP’s request to allow a temporary increase in the charges.”
— Dan Gearino, Columbus Disptach
link to article
 — Dan Gearino, Columbus Disptach
AKRON — “FirstEnergy’s annual meeting of shareholders lasted 10 minutes this morning as the company thwarted protestors who had been bussed in to voice their displeasure against the company.
For the first time, shareholders had to pass through metal detectors to get into the meeting. Board Chairman George Smart conducted the business portion of the meeting and ended the meeting within 10 minutes. FirstEnergy President and Chief Executive Officer Anthony Alexander gave no remarks about the company — a first — and entertained no questions.”
— Betty Lin-Fisher, Akron Beacon Journal
link to article
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Letters supporting the Fracking Emergency Medical Right to Know Act 9,241 neighbors have sent handwritten letters and made personal phone calls urging state legislators to support the Fracking Emergency Medical Right to Know Act as of June 10, 2013.
Ohio coal-fired power plants
Resources on proposed Cleveland incinerator
AEP’s Muskingum River Power Plant
Letters to American Electric Power 989 neighbors have sent handwritten letters urging AEP to retire its Muskingum River coal plant as of July 15, 2011.
Letters to Duke Energy 2,307 neighbors have sent handwritten letters and telewires urging Duke Energy to retire Miami Fort Unit 6 and Beckjord coal plants as of July 15, 2011.
Letters to Kokosing Asphalt 8,709 neighbors have sent handwritten letters and petitions urging Kokosing Asphalt to be a good neighbor as of February 25, 2011.
Letters to Rumpke 9,205 neighbors have sent handwritten letters and petitions urging Rumpke to be a good neighbor as of April 15, 2011.
Letters to FirstEnergy 3,914 neighbors have sent handwritten letters and petitions urging FirstEnergy to retire their four Lake Erie coal plants as of July 15, 2011.
Mountaintop removal coal mining
Letters to Senator Sherrod Brown and Senator Rob Portman 6,615 members have sent handwritten letters and petitions to Senator Brown urging him to support US EPA rules that will protect our health from polluting coal plants as of January 24, 2012.
3,751 members have petitioned Senator Portman urging him to support US EPA rules that will protect our health from polluting coal plants as of January 24, 2012.
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