MONONGALIA COUNTY, W.Va – The president of the West Virginia Coal Association says his organization does not necessarily oppose all gas-fired power plants, but he does have concerns with a proposed facility in Monongalia County.
FirstEnergy announced plans for a gas-fired plant next to the coal-fired Fort Martin Power Station, and reports about replacing the existing plant turned some heads.
“That raised some red flags, and we became a little more concerned and engaged with the development and proposal of this particular plant,” West Virginia Coal Association President Chris Hamilton said this week on MetroNews Talkline.
Hamilton points to potential financial burden for ratepayers as a chief concern as FirstEnergy works to bring the new plant to fruition. He worries residents may be forced to foot the bill for what he considers an unsure plan.
“There’s tremendous risk that the gas plant, as proposed, will put on the ratepayers, both industrial and residential, here in the state without many guarantees,” he said.
Additionally, Hamilton feels the state legislature provided a mandate for continued coal-based generation with recent laws passed to improve existing plants. He hopes to see that plan come to fruition before the stations can be phased out.
“Our legislature wanted to see these plants upgraded and fully modernized so that they could run at a much higher capacity factor and for a longer period of time. We’re in the infancy of that and, frankly, we’d like to see that mature,” he said.
The overall state of power production in West Virginia remains one of Hamilton’s concerns, with moves welcoming data center projects and planned high-power transmission lines set to pass through the state. He believes current forecasts for power needs undersell the situation.
“We don’t think that any of the current forecasts are strong enough. For all the data centers that are built and all the industrial facilities that are proposed that are part of the whole data center evolution, every power generator is upgrading their forecast,” he said.
The state Public Service Commission holds many of the cards when it comes to approving projects like the gas-fired plant at Fort Martin, and Chairman Charlotte Lane has voiced support for continuing to rely on coal-based generation. That keeps Hamilton pleased, but he knows that the people in power will someday change.
“They do have the ability and latitude to revisit issues over time. I have full trust and confidence in what Charman Lane indicates from the gavel, but she may not be here forever like all of us,” he said.
Construction on the gas-powered Fort Martin power plant could begin in 2027.