COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Federal orders to delay the closure of aging fossil fuel plants have driven up utility costs for ratepayers in Michigan, and a new report warns Ohio could be next.

An analysis from Grid Strategies — commissioned by Earthjustice, Environmental Defense Fund, NRDC, and the Sierra Club — estimated Ohio families could pay an extra $144 million per year by the end of 2028.

The cost would come from keeping parts of two coal plants, Miami Fort near Cincinnati and Cardinal along the Ohio River, running past their planned 2027 and 2028 shutdown dates.

“Power plants have been slated to retire because their owners and state regulators have determined they are no longer economic or needed,” the report states. “DOE mandates override those well-informed decisions, inflating elect

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