Revitalizing an Aging Power Plant in WV: Utilities Suggest Keeping It Operational

April 10, 2023

Mountaineer News

WV Energy News

BELMONT, WV - An aging power plant in Belmont, West Virginia is facing closure, but Monongahela Power Company and Potomac Edison have proposed a solution to keep the Pleasants Power Plant operating for another year. Their proposal involves raising customers' bills by an additional $3 million per month, pending approval from the state's Public Service Commission.

However, the Sierra Club's Senior Campaign Representative for Central Appalachia, Karan May, has criticized the proposal, citing the burden on ratepayers already grappling with high gas prices and inflation. She instead suggested that the utilities focus on expanding their renewable power and energy-efficiency programs.

FirstEnergy Corp, which owns Mon Power and Potomac Edison, has stated that while the proposal is under review, they are also considering a potential purchase. Meanwhile, a public hearing on the case is scheduled for April 21st in Charleston.

Emmett Pepper, policy director with Energy Efficient West Virginia, highlighted that customers might have to bear additional costs for upgrades or repairs to the aging plant. Pepper criticized the utilities for seeking to use government power to require customers to pay more to keep their plants operational.

The Pleasants Power Plant, which first opened in 1979, faces an uncertain future. Customers who cannot attend the upcoming hearing can still make their views known by submitting a comment on the Public Service Commission's website.