Oil and Gas Group has Proceeded to Nuclear Bailout

According to recently released tax documents, an Oil and Gas trade group helped fund dark money groups attempting to obstruct Ohio’s $1 billion nuclear bailout. The tax form released by Environment & Energy Publishing stated that, the American Petroleum Institute, a trade organisation representing the Oil and Gas industry in the United States. The organization donated almost $1.5 million to two dark money organisations that attempted to stop House Bill from becoming law.

API gave $975,000 to Ohioans against Nuclear Bailouts in 2019 and $500,000 in 2019. Both organisations are 501(c) (4) nonprofits, which are known as “black money” organisations because their sources are not required to be disclosed. The Ohio-based Medium Buying says, a GOP media placement firm, the groups invested almost $5 million in ads to prevent House Bill 6 from becoming law.

API spoke out against House Bill 6, which tacked fees onto Ohioans’ electric bills to subsidise two nuclear plants operated by First Energy Solutions in northern Ohio at the time. The party testified in committee against the nuclear bailout and later commissioned a poll to demonstrate how controversial the bill was with voters.

Todd Snitchler, API lobbyist said at the time, “The practical effect of HB 6 is to direct hundreds of millions of dollars to one company to the exclusion of its existing or potential competitors. API believes that businesses ought to follow the rules they agreed to and not try to unwind them when challenges arise.” API was also donating to oppose the bill, which is unsurprising. The size of the donations, however, was unknown until now.