MORGANTOWN — Mon Power and Potomac Energy — subsidiaries of FirstEnergy, have applied to the state Public Service Commission to build five solar power plants that would generate a combined 50 megawatts of power.
The companies said in their Monday announcement that four of the five proposed sites are on property owned by Mon Power or its affiliates, and the fifth location is still under review.
The largest of the four identified sites covers 95 acres in Monongalia County. The others are: a 26-acre reclaimed ash disposal site in Berkeley County; a 51-acre site adjacent to a Mon Power substation in Hancock County; and a 44-acre reclaimed strip mine property in Tucker County.
The companies’ application was enabled by 2020 legislation — led by Delegate Evan Hansen, D-Mon, intended to make West Virginia more attractive to businesses interested in renewable energy. The bill authorized electric utilities to own and operate up to 200 mw of renewable generation facilities.
The addition of new renewable generation also encourages economic development in West Virginia, as a growing number of companies require that a portion of the electricity they purchase be generated by renewable sources, the companies noted.
“Many of our customers have expressed strong interest in solar power in recent years, and we are excited about the opportunity to meet the growing demand for renewable energy in our service territory while supporting West Virginia’s economic development goals,” Jim Myers, president of FirstEnergy’s West Virginia operations, said in the announcement.
Informed of the companies’ plans, Hansen said, “I’m thrilled that Mon Power and Potomac Edison are moving ahead to build solar arrays on former mine sites, including in Monongalia County. We passed the utility solar bill in 2020 to help West Virginia utilities provide renewable energy that’s demanded by their customers. These projects will create jobs, diversify the economy, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
Mon Power said that if the program is approved, it would build, own and operate the five solar facilities, and the energy produced would be available for purchase by Mon Power and Potomac Edison customers in West Virginia.
Customers who participate in the program would receive the equivalent of one solar renewable energy credit (SREC) for each megawatt hour of energy purchased, they said. The cost of the solar generation would be paid for by Mon Power and Potomac Edison customers in West Virginia through a nominal solar surcharge until all the energy credits are purchased by program participants.
Once approved, procurement, groundbreaking and permitting would begin on the first phase of solar facilities as soon as 2022, with all five expected to be completed before the end of 2025.
By way of comparison, Mon Power’s Fort Martin two-unit coal-fired plant in Maidsville covers more than 1,000 acres and generates 1,098 mw of electricity.
FirstEnergy spokesman Will Boye said the program is open to all Mon Power and Potomac Energy customers, but they expect a healthy demand from commercial customers. Credits can be purchased at 4 cents per kilowatt hour, on top of the usual kwh fee.
Myers said, “We believe this is an exciting new use for several underutilized properties that will diversify our energy sources with clean, renewable options and help us continue to provide safe, reliable power to our customers in West Virginia.”
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.
TWEET David Beard @dbeardtdp EMAIL dbeard@dominionpost.com
