Report: Renewables Now Cheaper Than Coal Plants In West Virginia

A new report has identified the cheapest source of electricity in West Virginia, and it isn’t coal.

According to Energy Innovation Policy & Technology, every coal plant that’s currently in operation in West Virginia could be replaced with wind and solar at a lower cost.

That’s following the enactment last summer of the federal Inflation Reduction Act, which includes numerous tax incentives for renewable energy.

For now, state level policy favors keeping existing coal plants in operation for at least several more years. But the clean power policy group found savings on a per megawatt hour basis by replacing the coal plants with wind and solar.

The smallest cost difference the group found was $1.77 a megawatt hour at the Appalachian Power Mountaineer Plant in Mason County versus local solar.

The highest difference: $18.01 at the Wheeling Power Mitchell Plant in Marshall County versus regional wind.

Other comparisons:

$4.71: Mon Power Harrison Power Station in Harrison County versus regional wind

$7.50: Appalachian Power John Amos in Putnam County versus local solar

$10.37: Energy Harbor Pleasants Power Station in Pleasants County versus regional wind

$17.94: Mon Power Fort Martin Power Station in Monongalia County versus regional wind