Ohio's Great Chinese Power Conspiracy Theory
A campaign to prop up struggling coal and nuclear-power plants relies on fear more than logic.
Not so much any more.
Photographer: Ty Wright/Getty Images North AmericaAn entity dubbing itself “Ohioans For Energy Security” has a warning for the good people of the Buckeye State:
Before we get into the details of the one-minute ad in which a suitably ominous voice intones those words over much footage of President Xi Jinping, some context: Ohio recently passed legislation to subsidize struggling nuclear and coal-fired power plants, while also weakening incentives for renewable power and energy efficiency. The law benefits several incumbent power companies, especially FirstEnergy Solutions Corp., the bankrupt merchant-generation arm of utility FirstEnergy Corp. In response, opponents are busy gathering signatures for a petition to put a referendum aimed at scrapping the law on the November 2020 ballot.