Application To Build Natural Gas Power Station At Fort Martin Submitted To PSC

Updated on Tuesday, Feb. 17 2026 at 11:20 a.m.

One of West Virginia’s oldest coal-fired power plants may soon have a natural gas-fired neighbor. 

Monongahela Power and Potomac Edison are seeking approval from the Public Service Commission of West Virginia to construct a gas plant and three solar projects. 

The proposed $2.48 billion gas facility would be built next to the site of the existing coal-fired Fort Martin Power Station in Monongalia County which has been operational since 1968. The new power plant would generate 1,200 megawatts (MW), compared to the maximum capacity of 1,098 MW of the current power station. The plan calls for continued operation of the existing Fort Martin power plant.

The solar projects would be located in Weirton, Davis, and Albright with a combined capacity of 70 MW.

In their filing, the power companies state they are already falling behind actual grid load, and the switch to gas and solar is needed to keep pace with rising demand.

“Due to actual and projected load growth, the companies’ capacity requirement in 2024 was 3,507 megawatts (“MW”), and Mon Power’s available capacity resources were only 3,103 MW, leaving a capacity deficit of 405 MWs,” the application reports. “Thereafter, the deficit increases fairly rapidly due to customer growth, especially data center growth in the service territory. This deficit is projected to increase each year, reaching a deficit of approximately 1,083 MW by 2045.”

The United Mine Workers of America have expressed their strong opposition to a project they say threatens the state’s coal industry, and have planned a press conference for Feb. 17.

Last week, Pres. Donald Trump ordered the U.S. military to purchase more coal-fired power. Trump started his second term with a broad push to support the national coal industry, despite declining production and an industry shift towards natural gas and renewables.

The new Fort Martin natural gas plant is expected to begin construction in 2027 and be operational in late 2031.

*Editor’s note: This story was updated to correct the price of the proposed gas-fired power plant as $2.48 billion, which was previously reported as $2.84 billion. The story was also updated to clarify that the proposed project will not replace or convert the existing Fort Martin power plant but will operate concurrently once completed.