COLUMBUS — Not surprisingly, opponents of the $3.25 billion American Municipal Power-Ohio Generation Station are not supportive of the $30 million bridge loan the state of Ohio recently approved to assist in developing the project.

The bridge loan is funded from the $150 million advanced energy portion of the Ohio Bipartisan Job Stimulus Plan. The official announcement was made this week by Gov. Ted Strickland and Ohio Air Quality Development Authority Executive Director Mark Shanahan. The OAQDA is the state agency responsible for administering the program’s funds.

“As far as we’re concerned an advanced energy project cannot contribute in a major way to global warming,” Nachy Kanfer of the Sierra Club said of why he feels the AMPGS does not fit the description for the advanced energy portion of the Ohio Bipartisan Job Stimulus Plan.

Kanfer said the Sierra Club applauds the $10 million award to Willard & Kelsey Solar Group, LLC, a solar panel manufacture in Perrysburg, and Strickland’s “strong support of energy efficiency standards in the Ohio.” However, when it comes to the AMPGS award, Kanfer said, “this move does take us a step backward from that new energy future that he (Strickland) talks about.”

Josh Mogerman of the Natural Resources Defense Council agreed with Kanfer’s comments.

“I would say that money is supposed to be used for clean energy sources and there really isn’t a definition of clean energy that this falls under,” Mogerman said.

“The state of Ohio has been leading on a number of energy issues that relate to dealing with climate change threat, even at a more basic level Ohio has been really active in energy efficiency work, leading the way for a lot of states,” Mogerman said. “Investment in a dirty energy source like this really undoes a lot of great leadership work the state has done on energy efficiency. We would like to see the state take a more active leadership role in dealing with climate change issues and policy.”

Mogerman added with the nation being on the verge of a national clean energy and climate bill in Washington, DC, he felt it was “the wrong time to make such a big investment in a facility that has the potential to be a liability for the next 50 years.”

Mogerman said the NRDC is concerned about potential impacts on human health as well as a potential climate impact when discussing the AMPGS. He went on to say AMPGS has the potential to release an “immense” amount of carbon dioxide and “we do not agree this is advanced technology...it’s really more of the same.”