Mon Power and Potomac Energy — subsidiaries of FirstEnergy, have applied to the state Public Service Commission to build five solar power plants that would generate a combined 50 megawatts of power.
The companies said in their Monday announcement that four of the five proposed sites are on property owned by Mon Power or its affiliates, and the fifth location is still under review.
The largest of the four identified sites covers 95 acres in Monongalia County. The others are: a 26-acre reclaimed ash disposal site in Berkeley County; a 51-acre site adjacent to a Mon Power substation in Hancock County; and a 44-acre reclaimed strip mine property in Tucker County.
The companies’ application was enabled by 2020 legislation — led by Delegate Evan Hansen, D-Mon, intended to make West Virginia more attractive to businesses interested in renewable energy. The bill authorized electric utilities to own and operate up to 200 mw of renewable generation facilities.
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