COLUMBUS — An amendment in House Bill 15, the state worker’s compensation budget, could significantly reduce construction costs for the proposed American Municipal Power-Ohio Generating Station.

According to Ohio Senator Jimmy Stewart (R-Albany) who worked on securing the amendment, a joint House and Senate conference committee reached agreement on a final version of HB 15 on June 25, and both chambers approved the conference committee’s report yesterday. The bill will now be sent to Gov. Ted Strickland for his signature.

Stewart’s amendment would allow AMP-Ohio to apply for self-insured status through the Ohio Bureau of Worker’s Compensation but only for the construction phase of the new facility. The organization currently does not meet the requirements for self-insurance under Ohio law; however, exceptions have been made by the Legislature in past years for other large construction projects.

Stewart explained that if AMP-Ohio’s request is approved by the BWC, the organization could save $20-25 million on construction costs, which will be directly passed on to the municipal electric systems participating in the project. He added that quick approval of the amendment in HB 15 is critical to provide time for the BWC to perform a review of AMP-Ohio’s financial and administrative capabilities before they break ground later this year or early next year.

“This amendment will not only help lower costs for AMP-Ohio and the dozens of local power systems participating in the clean-coal project, but could help protect against increases in electricity rates for consumers in Southeast Ohio and across the state,” Stewart said. “I applaud my colleagues in the General Assembly for supporting this important proposal, and I urge the governor to do the same.”

AMP-Ohio, a Columbus-based, non-profit organization, is working with more than 80 municipal electric systems, including 65 in Ohio, on the project, which is expected to bring more than 1,600 construction jobs to Meigs County and create an additional 165 full-time jobs once the project is complete.

“This project will have a tremendous impact on the future quality and availability of clean energy in Ohio and surrounding states, help grow our region’s economy and bring hundreds of jobs to Meigs County and other communities in Southeast Ohio,” Stewart added. “It is essential that we do everything we can to help AMP-Ohio move forward with the project in the most cost-effective way.”