Washington, DC—Today, U.S. Representative Jim Renacci (OH-16) released the following statement regarding FirstEnergy’s announcement that they will be closing four power plants in Ohio:

“Sadly this news should not come as a surprise to anyone. FirstEnergy’s decision to close these plants is the direct result of new, overly-burdensome EPA regulations. In the process, over 500 plant workers are now going to lose their jobs. Unelected and unaccountable Washington bureaucrats shouldn’t be picking winners and losers when it comes to the energy Ohioans depend on every day.

“I remain a strong proponent of an ‘all-of-the-above’ energy policy that emphasizes American energy sources. That means we need to use all of our resources, including those which are most abundant and cost effective. Coal power in Ohio is the cleanest and most efficient it has ever been. The EPA needs to back off or Ohioans will be forced to spend even more of their hard-earned money paying their electricity bills.”

Rep. Renacci is serving his first term in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he is a member of the Financial Services Committee. Prior to his election he worked as a Certified Public Accountant in the health care industry, and owned and operated over 60 other businesses in the automotive and sports management fields.

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