Latest news with #OVEC
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kentucky public schools depend on federal funding. We can't afford to lose it.
Because our social media feeds and cable news networks have focused on hot-button issues in education, you may have missed an important development. The US House of Representatives passed a resolution to cut education and workforce funding by $330 billion over the next 10 years. Commentators and pundits debate education funding and dismiss investments as waste without ever defining the term. Unfortunately, a critical voice is missing from this much-needed conversation: educators. As CEO of the Ohio Valley Educational Cooperative (OVEC), I work with an incredible team of education experts to support 14 Kentucky public school districts as they work to educate the next generation. We do so by spearheading programs and initiatives that help teachers develop professionally, learn new skills in the classroom and even recruit new Kentucky teachers. Programs like Teach Tech Kentucky, which empowers teachers to include technology and computational thinking into their existing curricula, are helping fuel tomorrow's workforce. Additionally, OVEC's teacher apprenticeship program is primed to bring new teachers into classrooms so our students receive more individualized instruction. Opinion: We have money to fight Kentucky's opioid crisis. Let's not waste it. While we fill a vital role, districts rely heavily on federal support to maintain quality educational experiences for students, recruit and retain high-quality teachers and ensure student success in the classroom, workplace and community. To understand the potential impacts on Kentucky public schools, teachers and students, it is important to know the facts. That means understanding how much districts currently receive from the federal government. The Kentucky Center for Economic Policy (KCEP) conducted a study and analyzed districts' budgets from across the state to determine how much federal funding districts receive. The study found that OVEC districts — and Kentucky public schools more broadly —can't make ends meet without federal funding. According to KCEP, OVEC districts collectively receive $413 million in federal funding per year. On average, approximately 18% of an OVEC district's funding comes from the federal government. The numbers vary from district to district, but some areas in our region could lose 24% of their funding if federal education funding is eliminated. Opinion: We are business leaders. Tariffs will trigger cost-of-living crisis in Kentucky. Resources that students rely on through programs like free and reduced school lunch, Title I and the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act all are at risk if federal education dollars are cut. These funds are also used to assist students prepare to join the workforce. There is no doubt that the future of Kentucky public schools is on the line, and while education may be a hotly contested subject, one thing we all can agree on is Kentucky's kids are a worthy investment. Urge your congressional representatives to fund our future and protect investments in education funding. Tell us what you think. Submit a letter to the editor. Jason Adkins is the CEO of Ohio Valley Educational Cooperative (OVEC). This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Federal funding cuts will put KY public education at risk | Opinion
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
FirstEnergy continues effort to raise prices as Ohio repeals scandal-ridden bill
Smart energy meter. (Stock photo via Getty Images) While energy prices are set to jump this summer, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed a bill into law that could provide some relief — eliminating a subsidy from the scandal-ridden Ohio House Bill 6 that requires ratepayers to fund unprofitable coal plants. As this happens, utility companies are moving to increase consumers' bills. Back in 2019, Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder took and funneled $61 million worth of bribes in exchange for legislation to give utility company FirstEnergy a $1 billion bailout, named H.B. 6, all at ratepayers' expense. In March 2023, a jury found that Householder and former GOP leader Matt Borges, beyond a reasonable doubt, participated in the racketeering scheme that left four men guilty and two dead. In late June that year, federal judge Timothy Black sentenced Householder to 20 years in prison. Borges got five years for his role in the scheme, but most importantly, he attempted to bribe Tyler Fehrman, an FBI whistleblower, with $15,000 to help kill a repeal effort he was working on. On video, Borges told Fehrman that if he told anyone about the bribe, he would 'blow up' his house. While some of H.B. 6 was overturned already, ratepayers have been paying a subsidy that funds two Ohio Valley Electric Corporation coal plants — one in Southern Ohio and one in Indiana. The main beneficiaries for OVEC are American Electric Power Company (AEP), Duke Energy and AES Ohio. Still, FirstEnergy collects payment for it. But with the swipe of a pen — consumers will likely see their bills go down. DeWine signed a massive energy overhaul bill, H.B. 15, on Friday. It repeals the OVEC charges. A study commissioned by the Ohio Manufacturers' Association found that in 2024 alone, these subsidies cost ratepayers roughly $200 million. The company lost more than $100 million the same year, so consumers are paying for plants that aren't profitable. Consumers can expect to save between $1.30 and $1.50 per month, depending on their utility provider, according to the Energy News Network. The subsidies may not seem like a lot every month, but they add up when inflation is high and people struggle. 'It makes a difference, especially in today's day and age with a kind of shaky economy and folks trying to just make ends meet,' Fehrman said. While this will save citizens a bit of money, Householder attorney Scott Pullins argues that this will hurt the rural areas it serves. 'They are major high-paying jobs in the area, and the kind of area where there aren't very many high-paying jobs,' Pullins said about the plant jobs. 'They generate a whole boatload of taxes for schools in those areas. And if those plants get shut down, it's going to be devastating for those communities.' The Ohio plant employs many Ohioans, he added. But now, this may embolden utility companies to ask for more rate hikes, he said. This is already happening. 'Our electric grid needs to be modernized,' Pullins said. 'I'm assuming that those are where those costs are going. I think we do need a robust regulatory scheme to make sure these companies aren't wasting these funds.' FirstEnergy is now petitioning the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) to raise its prices — a $190 million increase in its charges. If approved, the Ohio Consumers' Counsel estimated that Cleveland Illuminating Company consumers will see a $13 price increase per month, Ohio Edison will have a $3 spike, and Toledo Edison at $1.50. On Monday, DeWine said he doesn't have an opinion on the price increases. 'As far as the raising of bills, ultimately, as you know, this is up to the PUCO,' he said. Fehrman said this shouldn't be allowed. 'There is this massive scandal where these companies tried to put a larger burden on the backs of every single Ohioan,' he said. 'And now, they're asking for more money in a time when folks are already struggling.' The bill will go into effect in 90 days. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lawmakers pass energy bill ending Ohio ratepayer charges that subsidize two unprofitable coal plants
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — After years of attempts, Ohio lawmakers voted Wednesday to end the subsidy for two unprofitable Cold War-era coal plants that had cost Ohio ratepayers nearly $400,000 a day, after they were tucked into the tainted energy bill at the center of the largest corruption scandal in state history. House Bill 15 would put an immediate end to the 'legacy generation rider' for the two Ohio Valley Electric Corp. plants contained in House Bill 6, which dates back to 2019. The provision was part of a larger overhaul intended to modernize Ohio energy policy. The Ohio Senate passed its version of the legislation in a rare unanimous vote Wednesday, before sending it back to the Ohio House. The lower chamber approved Senate changes to the House version 94-2. The bill goes next to Gov. Mike DeWine, whose office said he is reviewing the amended measure. State Rep. Casey Weinstein, a Hudson Democrat, praised the measure's passage, calling the end of the 'bailout' of the two coal two plants — one in southern Ohio, one in Madison, Indiana, southwest of Cincinnati — a huge win for consumers. 'It was an outrageous misuse of public funds — sending hundreds of thousands of dollars a day to an aging coal plant in Indiana," he said in a statement. "Putting an end to that is a victory for ratepayers across the state.' The bill also requires utilities to routinely come in for rate cases and justify how they spend ratepayer-collected money; creates a permissive school energy efficiency loan program to reduce energy costs for public schools; and codifies that consumers must receive refunds for improper charges. Ohio Manufacturing Association President Ryan Augsburger said repealing the uneconomical subsidies and other charges and creating energy 'heat maps' that visually depict energy usage patterns will allow manufacturers to operate more efficiently. 'Ohio has an abundance of natural resources, a strong workforce, world-class educational institutions and now the foundation for a nationally leading energy industry,' he said in a statement. "Now is the time for Ohio's energy system to pull ahead and attract new generation, bringing with it new economic investments.' The OVEC subsidy was a late addition to the measure passed Wednesday, which initially focused on a $1 billion bailout for two nuclear power plants owned by a then-subsidiary of Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp. It was to have been collected through Ohioans' electric bills through 2030. The Legislature repealed the nuclear plant subsidy contained in the bill in 2021, months after then-Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and four others were indicted for their roles in a $60 million bribery scheme secretly funded by FirstEnergy to win passage of the bailout bill. But the coal plant subsidy has been tougher to eliminate. The two plants were built in the 1950s to provide power to a uranium enrichment facility in Pike County, but the contract with the U.S. Department of Energy ended in 2003 and OVEC began selling power to the regional power grid. The rise of cheaper and abundant natural gas helped make the plants unprofitable. The state's utility watchdog at one point said the coal plant subsidy was worse than the one for the nuclear plants, because it helped sustain plants whose electricity wasn't needed and that pollute the air.
Winnipeg Free Press
30-04-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Lawmakers pass energy bill ending Ohio ratepayer charges that subsidize two unprofitable coal plants
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — After years of attempts, Ohio lawmakers voted Wednesday to end the subsidy for two unprofitable Cold War-era coal plants that had cost Ohio ratepayers nearly $400,000 a day, after they were tucked into the tainted energy bill at the center of the largest corruption scandal in state history. House Bill 15 would put an immediate end to the 'legacy generation rider' for the two Ohio Valley Electric Corp. plants contained in House Bill 6, which dates back to 2019. The provision was part of a larger overhaul intended to modernize Ohio energy policy. The Ohio Senate passed its version of the legislation in a rare unanimous vote Wednesday, before sending it back to the Ohio House. The lower chamber approved Senate changes to the House version 94-2. The bill goes next to Gov. Mike DeWine, whose office said he is reviewing the amended measure. State Rep. Casey Weinstein, a Hudson Democrat, praised the measure's passage, calling the end of the 'bailout' of the two coal two plants — one in southern Ohio, one in Madison, Indiana, southwest of Cincinnati — a huge win for consumers. 'It was an outrageous misuse of public funds — sending hundreds of thousands of dollars a day to an aging coal plant in Indiana,' he said in a statement. 'Putting an end to that is a victory for ratepayers across the state.' The bill also requires utilities to routinely come in for rate cases and justify how they spend ratepayer-collected money; creates a permissive school energy efficiency loan program to reduce energy costs for public schools; and codifies that consumers must receive refunds for improper charges. Ohio Manufacturing Association President Ryan Augsburger said repealing the uneconomical subsidies and other charges and creating energy 'heat maps' that visually depict energy usage patterns will allow manufacturers to operate more efficiently. 'Ohio has an abundance of natural resources, a strong workforce, world-class educational institutions and now the foundation for a nationally leading energy industry,' he said in a statement. 'Now is the time for Ohio's energy system to pull ahead and attract new generation, bringing with it new economic investments.' The OVEC subsidy was a late addition to the measure passed Wednesday, which initially focused on a $1 billion bailout for two nuclear power plants owned by a then-subsidiary of Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp. It was to have been collected through Ohioans' electric bills through 2030. The Legislature repealed the nuclear plant subsidy contained in the bill in 2021, months after then-Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and four others were indicted for their roles in a $60 million bribery scheme secretly funded by FirstEnergy to win passage of the bailout bill. But the coal plant subsidy has been tougher to eliminate. The two plants were built in the 1950s to provide power to a uranium enrichment facility in Pike County, but the contract with the U.S. Department of Energy ended in 2003 and OVEC began selling power to the regional power grid. The rise of cheaper and abundant natural gas helped make the plants unprofitable. The state's utility watchdog at one point said the coal plant subsidy was worse than the one for the nuclear plants, because it helped sustain plants whose electricity wasn't needed and that pollute the air.
Associated Press
30-04-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Lawmakers pass energy bill ending Ohio ratepayer charges that subsidize two unprofitable coal plants
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — After years of attempts, Ohio lawmakers voted Wednesday to end the subsidy for two unprofitable Cold War-era coal plants that had cost Ohio ratepayers nearly $400,000 a day, after they were tucked into the tainted energy bill at the center of the largest corruption scandal in state history. House Bill 15 would put an immediate end to the 'legacy generation rider' for the two Ohio Valley Electric Corp. plants contained in House Bill 6, which dates back to 2019. The provision was part of a larger overhaul intended to modernize Ohio energy policy. The Ohio Senate passed its version of the legislation in a rare unanimous vote Wednesday, before sending it back to the Ohio House. The lower chamber approved Senate changes to the House version 94-2. The bill goes next to Gov. Mike DeWine, whose office said he is reviewing the amended measure. State Rep. Casey Weinstein, a Hudson Democrat, praised the measure's passage, calling the end of the 'bailout' of the two coal two plants — one in southern Ohio, one in Madison, Indiana, southwest of Cincinnati — a huge win for consumers. 'It was an outrageous misuse of public funds — sending hundreds of thousands of dollars a day to an aging coal plant in Indiana,' he said in a statement. 'Putting an end to that is a victory for ratepayers across the state.' The bill also requires utilities to routinely come in for rate cases and justify how they spend ratepayer-collected money; creates a permissive school energy efficiency loan program to reduce energy costs for public schools; and codifies that consumers must receive refunds for improper charges. Ohio Manufacturing Association President Ryan Augsburger said repealing the uneconomical subsidies and other charges and creating energy 'heat maps' that visually depict energy usage patterns will allow manufacturers to operate more efficiently. 'Ohio has an abundance of natural resources, a strong workforce, world-class educational institutions and now the foundation for a nationally leading energy industry,' he said in a statement. 'Now is the time for Ohio's energy system to pull ahead and attract new generation, bringing with it new economic investments.' The OVEC subsidy was a late addition to the measure passed Wednesday, which initially focused on a $1 billion bailout for two nuclear power plants owned by a then-subsidiary of Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp. It was to have been collected through Ohioans' electric bills through 2030. The Legislature repealed the nuclear plant subsidy contained in the bill in 2021, months after then-Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and four others were indicted for their roles in a $60 million bribery scheme secretly funded by FirstEnergy to win passage of the bailout bill. But the coal plant subsidy has been tougher to eliminate. The two plants were built in the 1950s to provide power to a uranium enrichment facility in Pike County, but the contract with the U.S. Department of Energy ended in 2003 and OVEC began selling power to the regional power grid. The rise of cheaper and abundant natural gas helped make the plants unprofitable. The state's utility watchdog at one point said the coal plant subsidy was worse than the one for the nuclear plants, because it helped sustain plants whose electricity wasn't needed and that pollute the air.
