CHARLESTON, WV (Hinton News) – The Public Service Commission has scheduled a public comment hearing in the case to determine the immediate future of the Pleasants Power Station (Pleasants). The hearing will be held Thursday, April 20, beginning at 3:30 p.m. in the main hearing room of PSC headquarters at 201 Brooks Street in Charleston.
Pleasants is slated to cease generating power on May 31, 2023. Monongahela Power and Potomac Edison filed a report with the Commission in late March, outlining the possibility of acquiring Pleasants. The companies proposed an interim solution to preserve Pleasants’ operation while the companies, interested parties, regulatory bodies and others complete their analysis. The interim solution includes a temporary surcharge of $3 million per month to continue the plant’s operation. That would add approximately $2.67 per month to the average residential bill.
The companies assert that if the plant closes at the end of May, it will lose experienced staff to operate the complex machinery, it will be difficult to restart the plant after non-operation and the plant will forfeit its injection rights into the PJM-operated transmission network.
“There is a tremendous amount of public interest in this case, with widely varying opinions,” said PSC Chairman Charlotte Lane. “We invite everyone to come and share their suggestions and concerns with us on April 20. If you can’t be here in person, you can still submit a written comment.”
Submit comments on the PSC website by clicking on “Submit a Comment” and then following the prompts to submit a comment on a “Formal Case.” You may also mail written comments to: Karen Buckley, Executive Secretary, Public Service Commission, P.O. Box 812, Charleston, WV 25323. Please be sure to reference Case No. 22-0793-E-ENEC in written correspondence.
More information, including the procedural schedule and documents filed in this case, can be found on the Commission website www.psc.state.wv.us by referencing Case No. 22-0793-E-ENEC.
