Irving, Texas-based Vistra Corporation, an integrated retail electricity and power generation company with a diverse portfolio, including natural gas, nuclear, solar, and battery energy storage facilities, has announced the accelerated closure of its coal-fired Zimmer Power Plant located in Moscow, Ohio, from year-end 2027 to May 31, 2022, as the company transitions away from coal-based energy.
The decision was driven in part, by the company's inability to secure energy contracts in the wholesale electricity market auction held by the grid operator, PJM Interconnection.
The closure will impact at least 83 employees.
According to a company statement, "The Zimmer coal-fueled power plant has recently struggled economically due to its configuration, costs, and performance. The PJM capacity revenues are critical to Zimmer, and unfortunately, without them, the plant simply doesn't make money. This decision did not come easy. Our people work hard every single
day to provide power to Ohioans and have done a number of things over the past few years to sustain the life of the plant and improve its economics. But despite their best efforts, the disappointing auction results, along with other challenging factors, make continued economic operation impossible. We're left with a difficult but necessary decision of retiring the plant."
Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?