By Mike Nolting
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — FirstEnergy has announced plans to convert coal-fired power plants in Harrison and Monongalia counties over the next five years.
The decision, which FirstEnergy announced to its shareholders last week, reverses the plan to retire the Fort Martin and Harrison power stations over the next 15 years.
Sierra Club West Virginia Chair Jim Kotcon supports shutting down the coal-fired plants but stops short of giving his full support. Natural gas is still a fossil fuel that creates greenhouse gases that continue to harm the environment, Kotcon said.
“The Sierra Club is certainly interested in closing as many of these dangerous, polluting dinosaurs as possible,” Kotcon said. “The key is how can we do that and maintain electrical reliability because I want my lights to stay on.”
Kotcon said making large investments in an uncertain environment can lead to “stranded costs” if the market swings or if new technology sweeps the industry.
“If we have to put $4 to $6 billion into a fossil fuel plant and suddenly it’s not cost-competitive because of climate change impact, the ratepayers will still have to carry that burden,” Kotcon said.
The Sierra Club wants to see more solar, wind, and renewable options on a larger scale to develop a reliable base of affordable power for communities. Along with source development, Kotcon said they need to develop more ways to store the power produced for times renewable sources struggle.
“We would like to see more development in things like biomass energy and geothermal sources, but we will also need to develop a lot of battery storage for those facilities because, as everyone rightly points out, the sun doesn’t always shine,” Kotcon said.
According to Kotcon, First Energy should offer customers more ways to save energy and more education about conservation and efficiency. Comparably lower investment would lower energy consumption by making homes and businesses more efficient.
“While West Virginia utility rates are in the middle of the pack our electric bills are way above average because we have some of the least efficient homes, appliances, businesses, and some of the biggest energy hogs in the United States,” Kotcon said.
Kotcon said the time to develop renewable sources of energy is now. Recent extreme weather events, including the current drought in the state, show the climate is changing. Continuing to delay the investment will expose more people to the physical and financial harm caused by extreme weather events.
“Total greenhouse gas emissions keep going up, and that’s an increasing problem,” Kotcon said. “Anybody who has faced hurricanes in Florida or fires in California or the drought in West Virginia recognizes the climate is changing.”