The company that owns the nuclear power plant in Beaver County intends to shut it down in three years.
FirstEnergy Solutions, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp., notified the organization in charge of the region's power grid and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Wednesday about the move to close Beaver Valley Power Station, according to a press release.
"That is terrible. That’s a big part of Beaver County," said resident Tiffany Everly. "I can’t believe it. It's just terrible."
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Two other plants in Ohio are also scheduled for closure. Combined, the three plants generate about two-thirds of the electricity produced by FirstEnergy Solutions, the press release said.
The Beaver County plant, which went online in 1976, employs about 1,000 people, according to the company's website.
“The decision to deactivate these facilities is very difficult and in no way a reflection on the dedicated, hard-working employees who operate the plants safely and reliably or on the local communities and union leaders who have advocated passionately on their behalf,” said Don Moul, president of FirstEnergy Solutions, in the release.
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He said “market challenges” forced the decision and called for lawmakers to consider “policy solutions” to prevent the closures.
State Rep. Jim Marshall said he got a call late Wednesday about the announcement.
"And I picked up the phone knowing it wasn’t good news," he said. "It is a big part of Beaver County and losing it will hit the community hard because of the loss of jobs."
The company could also seek buyers for the plants instead of closing them, the release said.
On Thursday, FirstEnergy Solutions asked the federal government to issue an emergency order to a regional grid operator to increase payments for energy generated by the plant.