Kaptur Announces Additional Federal Funds for Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Plant in Oak Harbor
DOE Loan to Increase Plant Power Generation by About 9 Percent for Northwest Ohio
Oak Harbor, OH – Today, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, welcomed the Department of Energy’s announcement of a Federal loan of up to $4.2 Billion to Vistra Corp. to modernize three nuclear power plants, including the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Plant in Oak Harbor, Ohio. The investment will increase reliable power generation and grid capacity across Northern Ohio. At Davis-Besse, the project is expected to add 80 Megawatts of generating capacity and extend the reactor’s operating life by 25 years.
“This Federal support is timely given rising demands on our electrical grid and the need for additional power to protect jobs and attract new and expanded manufacturing facilities, while also helping avoid further rate increases on residential ratepayers,” said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09).
Kaptur emphasized the need for continued accountability and ratepayer protection following the plant’s history under its former owner, FirstEnergy, and the corruption associated with Ohio House Bill 6. She continues to advocate for her Ratepayer Justice and Commercial Power Accountability Act, which would seek to return funds improperly taken from ratepayers and prioritize future Federal investment in communities harmed by utility misconduct.
Kaptur also highlighted Federal investments in the region’s nuclear workforce. In April, the US Department of Energy awarded $19.2 Million to the University of Toledo for the Great Lakes Partnership to Enhance the Nuclear Workforce, under a new national nuclear workforce training program Congresswoman Kaptur created. The initiative, in partnership with Vistra, UToledo, the University of Michigan, Owens Community College, IBEW, and others, is a first of its kind industry commitment to develop workforce training and nuclear reactor safety credentials for current and future workers.
“These efforts are interconnected: delivering ratepayer justice, moving toward a new energy future, training a workforce focused on safety, and upgrading Davis-Besse to meet growing electricity demand,” Congresswoman Kaptur concluded.
The Vistra projects at Davis-Besse, the Perry nuclear facility in Ohio, and Beaver Valley in Pennsylvania are expected to preserve nearly 4 Gigawatts of reliable baseload power, add 433 Megawatts of new nuclear capacity, support approximately 3,000 project-related jobs, and preserve thousands of permanent jobs across the region. Davis-Besse, which began operating in 1977, was acquired by Vistra from FirstEnergy in 2024 and currently employs approximately 530 workers.
As Ranking Member of the Energy and Water Development Subcommittee, Congresswoman Kaptur continues to oversee DOE programs supporting power generation, grid modernization, nuclear safety, and ratepayer protection in Northern Ohio.
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