Clean Energy Future cancels plans for third energy plant

LORDSTOWN — Clean Energy Future announced today that is canceling plans to build a third gas-fired power plant in Lordstown.

"This decision is based on the July 2019 passage" by the Ohio General Assembly of House Bill 6, Bill Siderewicz, president of Clean Energy Future, said in a press release today.

The third plant would have cost $1.1 billion, Siderewicz said. Clean Energy Future has already spent over $1 million in development and permitting costs.

No third plant means the loss of 1,100 new local union construction jobs, 2.6 million man hours of union construction labor over 34 months and $150 million in water purchases from Youngstown, Siderewicz said. The third plant was likely to begin construction in 2020.

The first plant, known as the Lordstown Energy Center, is in operation in the Lordstown Industrial Park on Henn Parkway off of state Route 45. The second plant, to be known as the Trumbull Energy Center, is scheduled for construction to begin this December.

Gov. Mike DeWine signed House Bill 6 into law in late July, hours after lawmakers approved giving $150 million a year to nuclear power plants near Cleveland and Toledo.

The legislation will tack a new fee onto every electricity bill in Ohio while scaling back requirements that utilities generate more power from wind and solar.