MONONGALIA COUNTY, W.Va. — As Longview Power continues to pursue adding natural gas and solar energy capabilities to its Maidsville facility, company president and CEO Jeff Keffer said the proposed changes will only add to an exceptional operation.
According to Keffer, the coal-powered plant meets or exceeds the best available control technology by reducing almost all particulate matter during the combustion process. Bottom ash is sold to a local asphalt producer, and fly ash is used to produce concrete and cement.
The company applied to the state Public Service Commission in September to initiate the changes.
Keffer said Longview Power is a wholesale power provider, giving them a unique place in the energy marketplace. The company provides wholesale electricity to PJM Interconnection, a regional transmission authority.
“We don’t have any kind of ratepayer base or public service commission that specifies what our rates are,” he said. “We simply get what we receive from PJM and they’re the ones that dictate the process to us. It’s a very competitive marketplace.”
Keffer said the combination of various energy production methods will help Longview Power lead in an evolving market as well as attract the attention of various companies.
“Facebook, Google and Amazon are very interested in procuring electricity from renewable sources like our solar facility, and they recognize to do that they need to pay a premium,” he said.
More than 5,000 people are estimated to have jobs directly or indirectly related to the construction of the new components. Company officials have said construction can begin in early 2021 with the gas turbine going online by early 2024.