Tag: Pleasants Power Station

FERC Approves Transfer Of Pleasants Power Station To Omnis Technologies

Omnis proposes to convert the plant to hydrogen fuel that’s a byproduct of manufacturing graphene, a carbon-based material used in the aerospace industry.

Federal regulators have signed off on the transfer of the Pleasants Power Station to a new operator.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has approved the transfer of control of the Pleasants plant to Quantum Pleasants, which is owned by Omnis Technologies.

Omnis emerged as a potential buyer of the 1,300-megawatt coal-burning facility in Pleasants County when Mon Power was in active talks to acquire the plant from ETEM.

ETEM had intended to demolish the plant and remediate the site. Pleasants ceased producing power on June 1.

Omnis proposes to convert the plant to hydrogen fuel that’s a byproduct of manufacturing graphene, a carbon-based material used in the aerospace industry.

The Omnis proposal does not require a surcharge on Mon Power customers. Still, it isn’t clear when Omnis would begin producing power at Pleasants, nor how many workers it would retain.

The plant employs about 165 workers and contributes $2 million a year in property taxes to Pleasants County. State lawmakers pushed hard to save it, passing a resolution encouraging Mon Power to purchase it with overwhelming majorities in both chambers.

Pleasants would have closed sooner if not for a $12 million annual tax break lawmakers approved.

Future Of Pleasants Power Station And Remembering A State Supreme Court Justice, This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, a company called Omnis Technologies has stepped forward as a potential buyer of the Pleasants Power Station, which is currently not producing any electricity. Curtis Tate speaks with Sean O’Leary, senior researcher on energy and petrochemicals at the Ohio River Valley Institute, about the proposal.

On this West Virginia Morning, a company called Omnis Technologies has stepped forward as a potential buyer of the Pleasants Power Station, which is currently not producing any electricity. The company proposes to fuel the plant with hydrogen. Curtis Tate speaks with Sean O’Leary, senior researcher on energy and petrochemicals at the Ohio River Valley Institute, about the proposal, which he said leaves more questions than answers.

Also, in this show, a longtime legislator and state Supreme Court Chief Justice has died. Randy Yohe reports on the democratic stalwart’s life and legacy.

And, our Mountain Stage Song of the Week comes to us from Texas music legend Robert Earl Keen, who joined us on his final tour in July 2022. We listen to Keen’s performance of “I’m Coming Home.”

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from Concord University and Shepherd University.

Our Appalachia Health News project is made possible with support from CAMC and Marshall Health.

West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Eric Douglas, Bill Lynch, Caroline MacGregor, Liz McCormick, Emily Rice. Chris Schultz, Curtis Tate, and Randy Yohe.

Eric Douglas is our news director. Caroline MacGregor is our assistant news director and producer.

Teresa Wills is our host.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

Mon Power, Potomac Edison Ask PSC For $207 Million Rate Increase

The average residential customer who uses 1,000 kilowatt hours per month would see a 15 percent increase, or about $18.

Mon Power and Potomac Edison, both subsidiaries of Ohio-based FirstEnergy, have asked the West Virginia Public Service Commission to raise rates by $207 million.

In a statement Thursday, the companies said the increase will support improvements to the grid, reliability in rural areas, storm repairs and higher operating and maintenance costs due to inflation.

“While strict cost management and careful planning have allowed us to keep our West Virginia electric rates the lowest among the state’s investor-owned electric companies,” Jim Myers, president of FirstEnergy’s West Virginia operations, said in a statement, “an adjustment is required to keep pace with rising prices and allow us to continue making critical electric system enhancements.”

The average residential customer who uses 1,000 kilowatt hours per month would see a 15 percent increase, or about $18.

The companies are seeking an agreement with the owner of the Pleasants Power Station to keep it in operating condition that would include a monthly surcharge. The plant was scheduled for deactivation on Thursday.

Emmett Pepper, policy director for Energy Efficient West Virginia, which has criticized the Pleasants surcharge, said Mon Power and Potomac Edison Rates have gone up more than 70 percent since 2007.

“In order to help customers deal with these continued proposed rate hikes,” he said, “ratepayers need to be empowered to address energy costs by meeting their needs through more efficient buildings, generating their own power, and having battery backup for outages.”

Mon Power and Potomac Edison serve about one million customers in West Virginia and Maryland.

Pleasants Plant Has Another Potential Buyer, Mon Power Tells PSC

Omnis Fuel Technologies is working on its own agreement with ETEM to operate the plant and produce electricity using hydrogen instead of coal.

Mon Power has told state regulators that another potential buyer of the Pleasants Power Station has emerged.

Mon Power told the West Virginia Public Service Commission (PSC) in a filing late Wednesday that it’s still working toward an agreement with the owner of Pleasants, a company called ETEM.

However, Mon Power is not the only one who’s interested in acquiring the 44-year-old plant, which is scheduled to be decommissioned next week.

Mon Power said another company, Omnis Fuel Technologies, is working on its own agreement with ETEM to operate the plant and produce electricity using hydrogen instead of coal.

Depending on how it’s produced, hydrogen could meet proposed federal regulations on power plant emissions because hydrogen emits zero carbon dioxide when burned.

Mon Power said Omnis and ETEM would need to reach an agreement by June 10. If they do not, Mon Power will move forward with approval of its agreement by mid-June.

Pleasants Power Station Remains In Limbo As Shutdown Date Approaches

Mon Power is currently negotiating with the plant’s owner to keep it in operating condition and its employees on the payroll.

The Pleasants Power Station will be deactivated as scheduled on June 1, according to an update from the PJM regional grid operator.

West Virginia lawmakers and officials in Pleasants County have pushed to spare the plant from closing. Mon Power is currently negotiating with the plant’s owner to keep it in operating condition and its employees on the payroll.

Mon Power is supposed to report to the West Virginia Public Service Commission (PSC) in the coming days on how those negotiations are going.

If an agreement is reached, Mon Power will charge ratepayers $3 million a month to keep the plant in standby, but it will produce no electricity. The company will proceed with a thorough evaluation of purchasing the plant and operating it.

In its PSC testimony, Mon Power has said it does not intend to operate three power plants in West Virginia. It already has two – the Harrison and Fort Martin power stations.

Environmental and consumer groups, as well as the state’s leading manufacturers, have argued that Mon Power does not need Pleasants. They’ve also said the PSC lacks the authority to approve the monthly surcharge.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) forecasts that PJM, which includes West Virginia and 12 other states, will be able to meet this summer’s electricity demand without Pleasants.”

“Pleasants is not really necessary for reliability purposes this summer,” said Emmett Pepper, policy director for Energy Efficient West Virginia. “It’s also questionable that Pleasants would be necessary for reliability in the long term.”

The 1,300 megawatt plant on the Ohio River could have shut down years sooner, but the state legislature and Gov. Jim Justice gave it a $12.5 million annual tax break that saved it in 2019.

The $36 million annual surcharge Mon Power proposed is three times the amount of the tax break.

Lawmakers passed resolutions in both chambers encouraging Mon Power to buy the plant. Mon Power planned to purchase Pleasants in 2017. The PSC approved the sale, but FERC rejected it.

Coal has become far less competitive in the electric power marketplace. It now generates less than 20 percent of electricity nationwide, though in West Virginia, around 90 percent of power still comes from coal.

Natural gas is currently the dominant fuel for U.S. electricity, but renewables account for an increasing share. Recently, renewable sources surpassed both coal and nuclear power.

With 65 million power customers, PJM is the nation’s largest electric grid operator.

Those who support the continued operation of Pleasants point to December’s deep freeze as a reason to keep it on the grid. Unlike many coal plants, it was producing power during the storm.

Still, the outages PJM experienced during Winter Storm Elliott were mostly at natural gas and coal facilities. Ultimately, no rolling blackouts were required in PJM’s 13-state territory.

Groups Ask PSC To Reconsider Approval Of Pleasants Power Station Plan

Last month, the PSC allowed Mon Power to negotiate an agreement with the plant’s current owner to keep it in operating condition and its workers paid.

Environmental, consumer and industrial groups want state utility regulators to reconsider their approval of a plan to save a coal-burning power plant.

Energy Efficient West Virginia, Solar United Neighbors and Citizen Action Group has asked the Public Service Commission to revisit its conditional approval of a rescue for the Pleasants Power Station.

Last month, the PSC allowed Mon Power to negotiate an agreement with the plant’s current owner to keep it in operating condition and its workers paid past its previously announced shutdown on May 31.

If an agreement can be reached, the PSC would allow Mon Power to charge ratepayers $3 million a month for a year or more, though Pleasants would produce no electricity.

The groups say the PSC lacks the authority to approve the surcharge and that the PJM regional grid operator has offered no objection to the plant’s retirement based on reliability.

The West Virginia Energy Users Group, which consists of the state’s largest manufacturers, supports the petition to reconsider.

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