The Ottawa County Improvement Corporation (OCIC) has passed a resolution outlining the detrimental impact the repeal of House Bill 6 (HB 6) would have on our state and county without a thoroughly vetted and workable replacement. The resolution was passed unanimously by the Executive Board of the OCIC and has been sent to elected officials in Columbus.

“Given the events of the past couple of months, we as an organization felt it was important to remind citizens and our elected officials of the original intent of HB 6. The Davis- Besse Nuclear Power Station plays a significant role in the State of Ohio and here in Ottawa County,” said President Ken Williams of the OCIC. “The facility not only provides valuable jobs and critical revenue to our local communities and schools, but it is also a key component of addressing our state’s current and future energy needs,” said Williams.

Leading up to the original passage of HB 6, numerous elected officials and citizens from Ottawa County worked tirelessly to educate the public and our elected officials about the hundreds of direct and thousands of indirect jobs impacted by Davis-Besse, as well as the Perry plant in Lake County. They also underscored the fact that nearly 90 percent of Ohio’s carbon-free electric power generation, and more than one quarter of its entire energy portfolio, is produced by the two nuclear facilities strategically located along the Lake Erie shoreline.

“It is essential for a state our size to possess a comprehensive energy strategy and ensure our energy independence for the foreseeable future,” said Chris Singerling, Director of the OCIC. “That strategy is not complete without the inclusion of our largest producer of carbon-free power. We would be doing the citizens and businesses of Ohio a tremendous disservice by closing these facilities.

“We are confident the public and our elected leaders across the state understand these important points and will take them into consideration as the legislative process plays out in Columbus,” Singerling said.

The OCIC serves as the lead economic development agency by advancing, encouraging, and promoting the industrial, economic, commercial, and civic development of Ottawa County.