Mon Power, Potomac Edison seek approvals to upgrade wastewater treatment plants
Mon Power and Potomac Edison are seeking approvals from the Public Service Commission of West Virginia for upgrades at the Fort Martin Power Station in Maidsville and the Harrison Power Station in Haywood.
The $142 million initiative would include new wastewater treatment projects at the plants to meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s effluent limitation guideline (ELG) requirements. If approved, the work would be finished by the end of 2025.
The upgrades would reduce the environmental impact of the two facilities and support their continued operation beyond the 2025 compliance deadline. Specifically, it would support operations until the respective retirement dates of 2035 for Fort Martin and until 2040 for Harrison.
“The proposed upgrades will create local jobs and allow us to continue to operate our plants into the next decade for the benefit of our customers in West Virginia, while also minimizing their impact on the environment,” said Jim Myers, president of West Virginia operations for FirstEnergy, which owns both Mon Power and Potomac Edison.
The upgrades would be funded through a ratepayer surcharge that would start at $0.51 per month for the average residential customer in West Virginia when the first projects are implemented in 2024.
In the coming years, Mon Power and Potomac Edison will evaluate the most reliable and cost-effective ways to replace the capacity of the plants, which generate a combined 3,080 megawatts of power. Recently, Mon Power and Potomac Edison applied with the commission to build five utility-scale solar energy projects throughout their West Virginia service territory.
Mon Power serves about 395,000 customers in 34 West Virginia counties, while Potomac Edison serves about 275,000 customers in seven counties in Maryland and 151,000 customers in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.
