CHARLESTON, WV (Hinton News) – The Public Service Commission Staff has filed the public version of the Independent Technical Prudency Review of the Actions Affecting the Operations of Amos, Mountaineer, and Mitchell Coal Plants.
On May 13, 2022, the Commission ordered Commission Staff to review the prudence of APCo/WPCo’s Expanded Net Energy Cost (ENEC). This extensive review was to include fuel purchasing practices, power plant utilization, bidding strategy to sell generation into the PJM energy market, the extent to which generation from the companies’ plants failed to clear the PJM energy market during hours of PJM energy prices in excess of the incremental variable costs of self-generation, and reliance on PJM energy relative to self-supply options.
CTC concluded with the opinion that “the Companies did not appear to exercise common sense and prudency in their decisions to fulfill ‘their obligation to serve their customers’ with economic, safe, resilient and reliable electricity based on the use of the coal plants as established by the Commission.”
The Commission is reviewing the report and will consider what future actions will be taken.
A copy of the prudency review can be found on the PSC website: www.psc.state.wv.us by referencing Case Nos. 21-0339-E-ENEC and 22-0393-E-ENEC.
