The company is hoping the state will grant what are known as zero emissions credits to the plants, which would effectively subsidize them, through fees on Ohio electricity users. The credits are for creating electricity without pumping carbon dioxide or other pollutants into the air.
The big question may be whether any charges on customers’ bills will be applied statewide, or just in Northern Ohio, where the company and its parent, FirstEnergy Corp., have long been the dominant electric utility.