Mon Power and Potomac Edison Launch Third Solar Site in West Virginia
Mon Power and Potomac Edison, subsidiaries of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE), have launched their third utility-scale solar site in West Virginia, the companies announced on Tuesday. The Marlowe site in Berkeley County, featuring over 17,000 U.S.-made solar panels, generates up to 5.75 megawatts of renewable power, enough to supply about 1,000 homes, as part of a state-backed push to expand clean energy.
The project aligns with West Virginia’s 2020 legislation allowing utilities to develop up to 200 megawatts of solar on brownfield sites, supporting economic growth and corporate demand for renewables. “Our solar projects create jobs, support U.S. manufacturing, and meet rising electricity demand,” said Dan Rossero, FirstEnergy’s vice president of West Virginia Generation.
Built on a 36-acre former ash landfill from the decommissioned R. Paul Smith Power Station, the Marlowe site employed 54 local union workers and used American-made equipment. Combined with the 18.9-megawatt Fort Martin and 5.5-megawatt Rivesville sites, Mon Power and Potomac Edison now operate 30 megawatts of solar capacity. The companies aim to develop two more sites, reaching a total of 50 megawatts, generating over 87,000 solar renewable energy credits (SRECs) annually for purchase by customers, including the National Energy Technology Laboratory and Harpers Ferry.
FirstEnergy’s scale, serving 6 million customers, and its focus on repurposing industrial sites give it an edge in West Virginia’s energy transition. However, the program’s SREC cost of 4 cents per kilowatt-hour adds to customer rates, drawing mixed X reactions—some praise the renewable push, others question affordability. Scaling to the full 200-megawatt target also faces regulatory and financing hurdles.
By Michael Kern for Oilprice.com
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