Pennsylvania’s Failed Energy Policy Results in a Loss of 675 Full-Time Jobs and Emissions-Free Electricity

LONDONDERRY TOWNSHIP, PA – Leaders of Clean Jobs for Pennsylvania (CJFP) gathered today near Three Mile Island (TMI) to mark the premature and permanent closing of the power plant. TMI Unit 1 was closed today after 45 years of stellar operation because Pennsylvania lawmakers failed to address the widely acknowledged market flaws that unfairly disadvantage nuclear power plants.

“Today is a difficult day for Central Pennsylvania and for the 675 people who work full-time at Three Mile Island,” said Mike Pries, Co-Chair of Clean Jobs for Pa. and a Dauphin County Commissioner. “The plant had 15 years left on its operating license and is one of the best performing plants in the industry. While it’s too late for Governor Wolf and the state legislature to save TMI, there is still time to act to prevent additional premature nuclear plant closures around the state.”

“Not only could our elected representatives have taken action to save jobs they could have helped save our environment,” said Anna Dale, CJFP member and Chair of the Londonderry Township Board of Supervisors. “Since 2000, TMI has offset more than 95 million metric tons of carbon. That’s the equivalent of taking nearly 20 million cars off the road. TMI’s power will now be replaced by carbon emitting natural gas. That just doesn’t seem to make sense.”  

“My immediate thoughts are with the TMI employees who have been struggling through this difficult period. We tried to save the plant with House Bill 11 but we were not successful,” said State Representative Tom Mehaffie. “The state needs to take immediate action to value nuclear energy’s environmental attributes and ensure this outcome doesn’t happen at Pennsylvania’s four other nuclear power stations.”  

“I am feeling a deep sense of loss because today there should be more than 1,200 tradesmen and women coming into Middletown for a routine refueling and maintenance outage. Carpenters, pipefitters, insulators, boilermakers, electricians all would be earning excellent wages here over the next month. Now those jobs are gone forever,” said Joe Gusler, CJFP Co-Chair and President of the Central Pa. Building Trades. “State lawmakers bend over backwards to attract new jobs to our state, but sat idly by when it came to preserving existing family-sustaining jobs for highly-skilled workers.”

About Clean Jobs for Pennsylvania

Clean Jobs for Pennsylvania (CJFP) is a diverse coalition of business, labor, environmental, education, civic and local elected leaders who have come together to support the continued operation of Three Mile Island and the Commonwealth’s four other nuclear plants and the benefits they provide to their local communities. For more information about the coalition, please visit cleanjobsforpennsylvania.com.

CJFP formed on the heels of the announcement that TMI would close in September 2019 without necessary policy reform. The coalition has also seen a strong response from concerned citizens on social media. Clean Jobs for Pennsylvania’s Facebook page has more than 24,000 followers, and nearly 8,000 people follow the coalition on Twitter.