# Ohio GOP Proposes Bill to Block Coal Plant Closures New legislation aims to override settlement agreements to keep aging coal plants operational. - **Source:** [Canary Media](https://www.canarymedia.com) - **Published:** 2026-11-12 - **Topic:** [politics](https://brifing.si/c/politics) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/b02450cb-e4f6-422b-910e-a8b9c714dc2a ## Ohio GOP Legislative Intervention Ohio Republican lawmakers are drafting legislation to prevent coal-fired power plants from closing, even when owners have existing contractual obligations to shut down. The proposal aims to pass before Governor-elect Amy Acton takes office in January. This move seeks to bypass legal settlements that mandate facility closures across the state. ## Targeting Cardinal Power Plant The bill specifically impacts the 620-megawatt unit at the Cardinal power plant in eastern Ohio, currently scheduled to close by late 2028. This closure was part of a 2015 settlement between the Sierra Club and American Electric Power. Buckeye Power, which acquired the plant in 2022, now supports the legislative effort. ## Retroactive Contractual Nullification Critics argue the bill violates the Ohio Constitution by imposing retroactive laws that invalidate previous private and regulatory agreements. The legislation would allow plant owners to ignore settlement terms if requested by agencies. This creates a precedent where state law could override legally binding contracts reached in court or regulatory proceedings. ## Grid Reliability Justification Proponents justify the bill by citing grid reliability concerns, echoing federal claims that aging coal plants are essential to prevent power outages. Buckeye Power describes the proposal as a balanced solution to keep electricity affordable. However, opponents maintain that existing mechanisms already exist to assess if specific facilities are technically necessary. ## PJM Interconnection Analysis PJM Interconnection, the regional grid operator, is currently analyzing the impact of the Cardinal unit's scheduled deactivation by January 2029. Despite this ongoing process, PJM officials have urged Buckeye Power to seek waivers for the closure. This pressure follows federal declarations of a grid emergency linked to rising data center demand. ## Regulatory and Federal Friction The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio recently claimed it never approved the 2016 settlement agreement, despite records showing it was greenlit in March 2016. This administrative stance complicates the enforcement of closure mandates. Such regulatory shifts highlight the ongoing tension between state-level energy policy and existing environmental settlement obligations. ## Legislative Lame-Duck Strategy Republican lawmakers hope to push this bill through during the current lame-duck session, which concludes on December 31. This timing is critical because the GOP will lose its supermajority in the House next year. Representative Tristan Rader warns that the bill might be attached to other legislation to ensure its passage. ## Future of Environmental Settlements The bill could severely limit the bargaining power of community and environmental groups in future regulatory disputes. While the language targets state-level settlements, it creates uncertainty regarding how private parties can resolve nuisance or permit violations. This shift signals a broader trend of prioritizing existing fossil fuel infrastructure over environmental commitments. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/fossil-fuels/ohio-gop-bill-stymie-coal-plant-closures — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._