FirstEnergy set to deactivate Pleasants Power Station in West Virginia

FirstEnergy Corp asserted that its Allegheny Energy Supply subsidiary intimated PJM interconnection to deactivate the coal fired Pleasants Power Station in Willow island, West Virginia.  The 1,300-megawatt (MW) plant will be sold or closed on January 1, 2019.  The plant deactivation is subject to PJM’s review for reliability impacts, if any.

Mon Power filed a plan in March 2017 seeking regulatory approval to acquire the Pleasants Power Station, which would have resolved a projected 10-year energy capacity shortfall and decreased electric bills for customers.  The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) rejected the proposal on January 12, 2018.  The Public Service Commission of West Virginia approved the sale subject to a number of significant conditions.

Charles E. Jones, FirstEnergy president and chief executive officer said “Closing Pleasants is a very difficult choice because of the talented employees dedicated to reliable operation of the station and the communities who have supported the facility for many years.  But the recent federal and West Virginia decisions leave FirstEnergy no reasonable option but to expeditiously move forward with deactivation of the plant.”

FirstEnergy has announced the sale or closure of 2,471 MW of competitive generation operated in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Following the deactivation of the 1,300-megawatt Pleasants plant, the company will own or control generating capacity totaling approximately 14,795 MW from scrubbed coal, nuclear, natural gas and renewable energy facilities across Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New Jersey, Virginia and Illinois.