Bianca Sanchez, bianca.sanchez@sierraclub.orgv
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Sierra Club submitted Direct Testimony on Friday in the Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) case for Mon Power’s proposed $2.48 Billion, 1,200 MW combined cycle gas plant. The plant, according to the utility, would be built adjacent to the existing Fort Martin coal plant without first retiring the facility's aging, inefficient coal units.
Mon Power proposed building the 1,200 MW gas plant to address a 116 MW projected shortfall in 2029. The shortfall is expected to grow to 1,083 MW in 2045 due to one speculative data center. Notably, a contract has yet to be signed between Mon Power and the data center developer, meaning the data center and its demand could never materialize. While Mon Power anticipates the plant will largely serve one 1,000 MW data center, the $2.48 Billion cost of constructing the gas plant will fall on residential customers.
Mon Power is asking the West Virginia Public Service Commission (PSC) for "abandonment authority," which would place West Virginians on the hook for all costs, even if the plant is never built. The gas plant would also double the amount of pollution in surrounding communities.
“West Virginians can’t afford to pay higher bills, whether it’s for groceries, gas, or electricity,” said Lisa Di Bartolomeo, Beyond Coal Campaign Organizer for Sierra Club West Virginia. “Mon Power wants to put West Virginia customers on the hook for a bad deal that they don’t want to pay for – all to build a 1,200 MW gas plant that will serve one data center. We shouldn’t have to foot the bill for data centers coming into our communities, and we certainly don’t need to pay $2.48 billion for the privilege of being further exploited by utilities and big, out-of-state companies. On top of the cost, building a new gas plant would keep Fort Martin operating well past its lifetime, continuing to harm our community’s health and environment.”
"MonPower is insisting on abandonment authority," said Jim Kotcon, Conservation Chair for the West Virginia Chapter of Sierra Club. "They know that climate change is real, and that restrictions on greenhouse gases are inevitable. If greenhouse gas restrictions are imposed, I believe that a fossil fuel facility like this could never pay for itself, which is why MonPower wants to protect their profits, and insists on putting all the risk on ratepayers."
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.