MORGANTOWN — FirstEnergy subsidiaries Mon Power and Potomac Edison have applied to the Public Service Commission for approval to undertake new wastewater treatment projects at their Fort Martin Power Station in Maidsville and Harrison Power Station in Haywood.
They said in a release that they estimate the project would cost $142 million and would meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s effluent limitation guideline requirements.
If approved, the companies would complete the work by the end of 2025, reducing the environmental impact of the two facilities, they said.
The upgrades would support the continued operation of Fort Martin and Harrison beyond the 2025 compliance deadline, until their anticipated retirement dates of 2035 and 2040, respectively, the companies said.
“The proposed upgrades will create local jobs and allow us to continue to operate our plants into the next decade for the benefit of our customers in West Virginia, while also minimizing their impact on the environment,” said Jim Myers, president of West Virginia operations for FirstEnergy.
The cost of the improvements would be funded through a ratepayer surcharge that would start at 51 cents per month for the average residential customer in West Virginia when the first projects are implemented in 2024, they said
Fort Martin and Harrison were placed into service in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and such plants historically have an average lifespan of approximately 60 years, the companies said. The future retirement of either facility would be subject to commission review and approval.
Mon Power and Potomac Edison said that in the coming years they will work to evaluate the most reliable and cost-effective ways to replace the significant capacity of the plants. The two plants generate 3,080 megawatts of power, combined.
Last year, FirstEnergy announced a pledge to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. It intends to thoughtfully transition its generation fleet within that timeframe, it said.
As previously reported, the companies also recently submitted an application to the Public Service Commission of West Virginia to build five utility-scale solar energy projects throughout the companies’ West Virginia service territory that would generate 50 megawatts of clean, renewable energy.
Mon Power serves about 395,000 customers in 34 West Virginia counties. Potomac Edison serves about 275,000 customers in seven counties in Maryland and 151,000 customers in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.
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