Charleston Gazette-Mail: Mon Power, Potomac Edison recommend $36 million rate increase to allow Pleasants plant

By Mike Tony

FirstEnergy’s West Virginia subsidiaries have proposed a $36 million rate increase to keep open a coal-fired plant in Pleasants County due to stop operating at the end of May.

Mon Power and Potomac Edison submitted a filing to the West Virginia Public Service Commission Friday asking for a temporary surcharge to allow them to recover costs of keeping the Pleasants Power Station open for 12 months, beginning June 1.

The companies contended they didn't have enough time to evaluate whether to acquire and operate Pleasants on a long-term basis to avoid a plant shutdown and lose the plant's employees.

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Charleston Gazette-Mail: Emmett Pepper: Electrical reliability begins at home (Opinion)

By Emmett Pepper

Hoppy Kercheval’s recent opinion piece about the reliability of electricity service was interesting, but its conclusion that “the rush to green energy to replace traditional baseload power sources could leave us in the dark” felt hyperbolic and unsupported by the rest of the piece.

His column repeated arguments made by utility/coal advocates in favor of power plant bailouts. It also ignores the real issue with reliability of service: delivering electricity.

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POLITICO Pro: As coal disappears, mining states launch rescue efforts

West Virginia is the latest state to fight for coal's survival, complicating the Biden administration's efforts to green the grid and cut planet-warming pollution.

By Benjamin Storrow

CLIMATEWIRE | West Virginia's governor is begging. Lawmakers are pleading. And power plant workers are scrambling to save their jobs.

But one of West Virginia's largest coal plants may close this spring despite the rescue efforts of political leadership in one of America's top coal mining states.

The fate of Pleasants Power Station has become a litmus test of West Virginia's ability to preserve a fuel that has long underpinned its economy. The fight is being repeated in coal mining states across America. As coal disappears from the country's electric mix, mining states are launching efforts to save what remains of a once mighty industry.

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WATCH: Leah Barbor of Solar United Neighbors on Inside West Virginia Politics with Mark Curtis

This video premiered on Inside West Virginia Politics with Mark Curtis.

Press Release: West Virginians for Energy Freedom Hosts Press Conference on Community Solar at Capitol

Jillian Blair, a WVU Honors College Student Ambassador, speaks at the community solar press conference on Feb. 28, 2023.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 28, 2023
Contact: Lauren Trovato, Press Liaison
lauren@84agency.com, (540) 998-5531

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – West Virginians for Energy Freedom, a statewide coalition focused on promoting energy freedom in West Virginia, hosted a press conference updating the public on the status of community solar in the state of West Virginia on Tuesday, February 28th. The press conference was held at the Capitol during the WV Environmental Council’s “E-Day,” a day-long series of events bringing awareness to a variety of pressing environmental policy concerns—including the expansion of affordable energy options through community solar. 

Press conference speakers argued that by enabling community solar in WV, policymakers could help to significantly lower energy costs, create thousands of local jobs, and promote energy freedom.

“Community solar is available in 22 states, but we have yet to enable access in West Virginia,” said Leah Barbor, West Virginia State Director of Solar United Neighbors. “Opening the door to community solar programs in the Mountain State would make the benefit of solar available to those who can’t, or prefer not to, install solar panels on their own homes.”

In addition to Barbor, press conference speakers included Darryl Clausell, president of NAACP West Virginia, Lucia Valentine, West Virginia Environmental Council lobbyist, and Jillian Blair, a WVU environment and energy resources management student.

“Bringing community solar to West Virginia would help ensure that all West Virginians have the ability to choose where their energy comes from,” said NAACP WV President Darryl Clausell. “This would also help address longstanding issues of environmental injustice and economic inequality that have disproportionately affected communities of color.”

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West Virginians for Energy Freedom is a coalition of neighbors, community organizations, local businesses, municipalities, and elected officials advocating for energy freedom in West Virginia.