Appalachian Power Outlines Options For 2 W.Va. Coal Plants

Appalachian Power said it can convert two of its coal-burning plants in West Virginia to 40 percent gas by 2030, 100 percent gas by 2030, or shut both down by 2032.

Those are its options to meet federal limits on greenhouse gas emissions issued earlier this year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The greenhouse gas rule is being challenged in court and could be scrapped by the EPA in a new Trump administration.

The company has ruled out carbon capture and storage as unworkable, as outlined in answers provided to the West Virginia Public Service Commission (PSC) as part of its application to raise base rates.

“CCS has not been commercially demonstrated and is not expected to be developed in time to be a viable option,” wrote Robert Jessee, Appalachian Power’s vice president of generating assets. “Therefore, to comply with the GHG rule the Companies must either convert their existing coal-fired plants to gas or shut the plants down.”

Jessee offered no cost estimate for converting the John Amos and Mountaineer plants to gas, but said they would need “significant upgrades.”

Jessee also discussed compliance options for the EPA’s updated rule on wastewater treatment. He said the rule would require the installation of a new system at both plants at a cost of $120 million each.

A 100 percent gas conversion or a plant retirement would not require wastewater treatment.

Appalachian Power has spent hundreds of millions of dollars since 2021 to comply with the current version of the wastewater treatment rule. The new rule also faces a court challenge.

Any upgrades or conversions would be paid for by Appalachian Power electricity customers.

In other testimony, Appalachian Power said the average residential user pays $175.38 a month for 1,000 kilowatt hours. The company is currently seeking a 14 percent rate increase.