COLUMBUS, Ohio — A draft bill circulating ahead of introduction in the Ohio General Assembly would allow electric utilities to own and operate nuclear power plants in the state.
The proposal, first reported by WEWS-TV in Cleveland, would permit utilities such as FirstEnergy and American Electric Power to construct nuclear facilities.
According to the leaked draft, the legislation would allow new nuclear plants to be built on brownfield sites and former coal mine properties. The proposal also calls for streamlined regulatory approval for such projects.
Metadata associated with the draft document suggests it may have been authored by a lobbyist for American Electric Power.
The bill has not yet been formally introduced, and lawmakers have not publicly commented on when it may be brought forward for consideration.
