"I grew up in coal country. that is degrading to another person. However, without the John Amos Power Plant generating 2,900 megawatts of electricity, life's simplest tasks would be much harder. A couple of large coal-fired power plants in this area could be retired ahead of schedule. . This is Congress's decision to make, not the EPA.". "We can't continue to risk everything for energy, you know, I mean coal keeps the lights on, they say, but at what cost?". Charlie Reynolds, a Republican from West Virginias Marshall County, told the commission, referring to the Mitchell Plant. For more than four decades, the plant, now Appalachian. We are first in your inbox with the most important news in the industry―keeping you smarter and one-step ahead in this ever-changing and competitive market. However, the Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) on July 15 only approved CCR-compliance projects at Mitchell, moving distinctly to deny projects related to the ELG rule. "I have never seen flooding like I've seen here in the past, really in the past 20 years," said longtime environmental activist Maria Gunnoe, whose family has lived and mined in West Virginia for generations. The EPA argues in legal documents that Congress gave it sweeping discretion under the Clean Air Act to determine the best system of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to protect human health, and officials said this month that they are poised to release strict new limits on power plant pollution as soon as the Supreme Court rules. This full-time position is located at the John Amos Power Plant in Winfield West Virginia. Both are owned and operated by Appalachian Power, a subsidiary of American Electric Power, and both burn coal to generate electricity. With a nameplate rating of 2,933 MW,[1]it is the largest generating plant in the AEP system. Duke Energy will retire all of its power plants in the Carolinas that "rely exclusively on coal" or about 9,000 MW of capacity within the next ten years under the six scenarios outlined in its utilities' 2020 integrated resource plans. Closures already announced by power generators will drop that figure to 136.5 GW by 2035, or about 47.8% of the size of the fleet at the beginning of 2015. News & Technology for the Global Energy Industry. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. Six years later, many survivors remain unmoved by the growing threat of climate change and urgent calls to curb greenhouse gasses from burning coal. The big game changer, however, could be a tax on carbon. At Amos, Appalachian Power has proposed to modify the bottom ash handling system (to prevent discharge of bottom ash transfer water), as well as install two new ash bunkers. Both were smaller, older plants that didnt produce enough power to justify the investment needed to meet modern environmental standards. We have many factors to consider, Matheney said. "If we were to max out every available roof space in this state and all the usable land, we may be able to reach 30 percent of powering the grid -- maybe," she said. Fossil fuel energy is still a mainstay in state. None of us take that lightly, Jaffe said. The other two would close in five years. Use the 'Report' link on Chance of rain 70%. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Yet these power plants are vulnerable to the same economic forces that have swept through the industry nationwide in the past decade. AEP and other power plant operators are retiring coal-fired plants in the region. Amos, a 2,930-MW coal plant located near the Kanawha River in Putnam County, West Virginia, is the AEP systems largest generating plant. Don't Threaten. By the start of 2020, that fell to 228.8 GW, a decline of 19.9%. I'm not a scientist, but I just don't believe it," said Mayor Kay Summers of Clendenin, a Republican elected two years ago to champion the rebuilding. The plants must be in compliance to operate beyond 2028. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism Whether they close in 2028, 2040 or sometime between, the three plants will leave a void in the surrounding communities. Twenty-eight percent of active coal-fired power plants are set to be retired by 2035. The outcome could dramatically shape the future of coal-dependent communities like Clendenin and the coal-fired power plants that employ thousands of workers but also generate millions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions every year. , encouraging a shift toward cleaner energy. The demand for electricity is flat, even factoring in the pandemic. Similar projects are slated for the Mountaineer plant, including a modification of the bottom ash handling system, installation of a new ash bunker, and a retrofit of a new ultrafiltration system to the existing FGD treatment system. Sponsor impactful and engaging media and entertainment. At the Virginia SCC, Appalachian Power had argued its proposed investments for specific projects at the Amos and Mountaineer plants were the most cost-effective means of compliance with the federal CCR and ELG rules. Had natural gas not become so plentiful and inexpensive, one or both might still be operating. Utility customers in West Virginia, Virginia and Kentucky would pay for the cost. They've towered over the region's communities for decades. It's one of 174 coal-fired plants nationwide that could be impacted by the Supreme Court's decision. Still, power customers will have to pay those costs whenever the plants shut down. A report published by the National Bureau of Economic Research shows that the John Amos, Mountaineer and Mitchell plants will no longer be economical to operate in five years. West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey is leading a group of 18 states suing the Biden administration over the Environmental Protection Agency's authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act. Natural gas toppled coal as the nations top electricity source about five years ago, and renewables have caught up. According to Appalachian Powers testimony, the Virginia jurisdictional share of the ELG investments would be about $60 million. found several ash sites are leaking potentially hazardous chemicals into groundwater. And so its a tough spot if you own these utilities, he said, so I understand why theyre struggling to think about what their options are.. More coal-fired power plants face closure as the nation transitions to cleaner sources of energy. Our next steps will be to evaluate our options in light of those orders, determine the best path forward to meet the resource needs in each state, and return to the commissions if necessary for consideration of our updated costs and plans, a spokesperson said. America's Power President and CEO Michelle Bloodworth said the coal-fired power advocate has long warned of the long-term risks the grid faces from the retirements of large baseload plants and the rise of intermittent sources of energy such as wind and solar. The 2,900-MW John E. Amos coal-fired power plant near Charleston, W.Va., has been producing power since the early 1970s. AEP says the energy generated at the John Amos Plant is enough to power about 2 million homes. Coal is falling out of favor to lower-carbon or no-carbon sources of electric power in an effort to curb greenhouse gas emissions and slow climate change. The rules require utility companies to perform the work or close the plants. What happened in Virginia is a complicated situation, but in simple terms, Appalachian Power wanted a rate increase there, but the Sierra Club opposed it. Appalachian Power and Wheeling Power, both subsidiaries of Ohio-based American Electric Power, have testified that upgrading the plants represents the best value for ratepayers. After the closure, a series of channels drained the former pond site, connecting to an . They plan on retiring another 25 gigawatts through 2025. "We think market operators need to revisit payment mechanisms to ensure these dispatchable generators don't retire due to artificially driven economics," Bloodworth said. While the extreme flood that submerged Clendenin was exceptional, government and academic climatologists warn that the threat of extreme rain events is growing across West Virginia, which already ranks third in the country in flooding disasters over the last 70 years. The John Amos power plant in Mason County isn't set to close anytime soon, but many U.S. coal plants are. Its impact on the. Its just its the money would be so much better spent on going down a clean energy path that would produce more jobs and put more money in the pockets of ratepayers, he said. The John E. Amos coal-fired power plant in Poca, West Virginia. "We understand the energy grid is in transition, but we also believe it's critical to heighten the level of awareness about how a transition away from dispatchable resources like coal can adversely impact system reliability and resilience," Bloodworth said. The company sought recovery of an estimated $240 million investment to ensure both plants will be in compliance with both federal rules. Those plants may not run until 2040, said Dori Jaffe, a managing attorney for the Sierra Club. In separate December 2020submitted cost recovery filings with regulators in West Virginia and Kentucky, two other AEP subsidiariesWheeling Power and Kentucky Powerhad also sought cost recovery for CCR and ELG investments for another West Virginia coal plant, AEPs 1,560-MW, The West Virginia Public Service Commission (WVPSC) on Aug. 4 ultimately approved cost recovery for both CCR and ELG investments at all three plantsAmos, Mountaineer, and Mitchell. Theres also the delicate matter of what happens to the communities that depend on the plants for jobs and tax revenue, as well as the coal mines that supply them. The order also directs Kentucky Power to provide the journal entries recorded when Kentucky Power acquired Mitchell and Mitchells remaining net book value, including all plant accounts and asset retirement obligations, as of the most recent month for which records are available, the PSC said in a statement. A 2018 investigation by the Ohio Valley ReSource and partner station WFPL found several ash sites are leaking potentially hazardous chemicals into groundwater. [2] You have permission to edit this article. The 1,300-MW Mountaineer Power Plant outside New Haven in Mason County, West Virginia, was completed in 1980. The $317 million project would change the way the coal plants dispose of coal combustion residuals and wastewater from scrubbers that remove sulfur dioxide from plant emissions. That fee would pay for wastewater treatment projects that are required to keep the plants in operation through 2040. The John E. Amos Power Plant is located near Winfield, Putnam County, West Virginia. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? But I think everybody knows that those plants are closing at some point.. "We are absolutely certain that there's going to be a considerable number of more retirements for this decade," Feaster said. Holladay says the utilities may choose to keep them open and lose money. 2 Logan to 8-7 win over No. The early and simultaneous retirement of nearly two-thirds of the companys capacity would expose the company and our customers to an imprudent level of uncertainty and market volatility, she said. The Ohio Valley ReSource gets support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and our partner stations. The model predicts one of Mitchell's two units would close in two years, and the other in three. Cheap, abundant natural gas has been eroding coals share of electric power generation for more than a decade. WV Educational Broadcasting Authority, the WVPB Foundation, and the Friends of WVPB. In the long run, it could mean renewables. AEP and other power plant operators are retiring coal-fired plants in the region. AEP subsidiary Kentucky Power converted the Big Sandy power plant near Louisa, Kentucky, from coal to gas a few years ago. Appalachian Power, the AEP subsidiary that owns the two plants. The cost of wind and solar have plummeted in recent years. , in spite of pressure from Kentuckys then-Gov. In the mid-2000s, EPA regulations forced many U.S. power plants to invest in upgrading smokestacks with scrubbers that remove nearly all sulfur dioxide -- a pollutant that can harm human health and contribute to acid rain. The company wants to spend $250 million on wastewater treatment projects at the coal-burning plants to bring them into compliance with federal environmental rules. They also support, directly and indirectly, 6,600 jobs. As part of a deal to secure a rate increase in Virginia, Appalachian Power has agreed to examine what would happen if the John Amos Power Plant in Putnam County and the Mountaineer Power Plant in Mason County were taken out of service ahead of schedule. The other two would close in five years. Union boilermaker Ricky Brookver, 41, of Charleston, West Virginia, works overnight at John Amos Power Plant making facility upgrades to comply with the latest EPA regulations. The John Amos power plant in Mason County isn't set to close anytime soon, but many U.S. coal plants are. Both are owned and operated by Appalachian Power, a subsidiary of American Electric Power, and both burn coal to generate electricity. When AEP has built new fossil fuel-powered plants in recent years, they have been gas burners. Amos Plant is making plans to close the bottom ash pond and move the material to a lined landfill. Browse TV Schedule | Find WVPB Television, View Radio Schedule | Find Your Stations. But you have to go through the process the right way," Morrisey said. In addition to avoiding replacement capacity costs, the plants also serve to protect customers from potentially volatile energy costs, with energy being the actual amount of electricity used from whatever source. A report published by the National Bureau of Economic Research shows that the John Amos, Mountaineer and Mitchell plants will no longer be economical to operate in five years. Keena Mullins, co-founder of Revolt Energy, says solar power has a future in West Virginia if policymakers move to diversify the state's energy portfolio. Steam Electric Effluent Limitations Guidelines (ELG) rule. Since then, the agency has attempted to enact new limits on power plant carbon dioxide emissions, a primary driver of global warming. Closing the Amos plant alone in 2028 could save $1.4 billion, the Sierra Club's analysis found. Early childhood development & learning resources. The John Amos Power Plant, operated by American Electric Power, sits on 400 acres along the Kanawha River in Winfield, WVa. Rain ending early. Bloodworth said goals such as the Biden administration's aim for a carbon-free grid by 2035 are "neither achievable nor realistic." "Our people want to have clean air. Shutting down either plant would be hard on the economies of their local communities, not to mention the West Virginia coal industry in general. The Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) on Aug. 23 rattled American Electric Power's (AEP's) plans to operate the 2.9-GW John Amos and 1.3-GW Mountaineer coal power plants through 2040 . Adding another level of complexity are the changing federal rule requirementsas new administrations take the helm in Washington, D.C. estimated the states power plants account for $4.8 billion in direct output, $725 million in wages and $97.3 million tax in revenue. It is possible that West Virginia customers could have to cover the costs of the entire retrofits for all three plants, she said. Sign up for our newsletter and get weekly updates. Low 48F. In the long run, it could mean renewables. It predicts Mountaineers single unit would shut down in three years. Be Nice. the commission denied about $4.2 million of expenses AEP had proposed for projects that would help the plants comply with the ELG rule. Appalachian Power and Wheeling Power, both subsidiaries of Ohio-based American Electric Power, have testified that upgrading the plants represents the best value for ratepayers. "The question is, what replaces coal generation?". "It's really a tough space for many of these plants to operate in.". Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Coal-fired power plants peaked at 314 gigawatts of electricity in 2011, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. additional options for reusing and discharging small volumes of bottom ash transport water, provides an exception for retiring units and extends the compliance deadline to a date as soon as possible beginning one year after the rule was published but no later than December 2025, the company said in late July. Market Intelligence Our Management needs improving. that will be taken to close the CCR unit, including identification of major milestones such as coordinating with and obtaining necessary approvals and permits . Amos Plant uses dry fly ash handling and no longer requires use of the fly ash pond. ABC News. For bottom ash transport water, it revised the 2015 rules zero-discharge limitations. Request WVPB Education to attend or host an event! One megawatt is enough to power roughly 50,000 homes. The facility operates one surface . Van Nostrand said utility customers and communities would be better off if AEP scrapped the upgrades and redirected the money toward the transition to renewable energy. Utilities are rapidly closing coal-fired power plants, and while 2020 and 2021 offer a relative reprieve from retirements compared to 2018 and 2019, utilities already have over 10 GW of announced retirement plans lined up in each of 2022 and 2023. The state's largest coal-fired power facility -- the John Amos plant in Winfield, West Virginia -- sits 40 miles west of Clendenin along the Kanawha River. The SCCs order is a new setback for Appalachian Power, which has said cost recovery of CCR and ELG retrofits at the plants would allow their generating units to provide crucially needed capacity and energy value to the utilitys customers in Virginia and West Virginia through 2040. Your Herd from Herald-Dispatch Reach Manager. Doing the work on their wastewater systems would delay the cost of retiring the plants and finding new sources of power to replace them. Theyve towered over the regions communities for decades. American Electric Power, one of the nation's largest utilities which owns the John Amos facility, granted ABC News Live rare access to see firsthand how its workforce of up to 1000 full-time and contract workers generate enough power for two million homes and businesses across three states. However, theres no guarantee all three plants would continue operating another 12 years or beyond that if the commission approves the request. But one of the reports authors predicts they wont last to the end of this decade. West Virginia's public utilities commission last year gave the John Amos plant and two other aging coal-fired facilities a new lease on life, approving more than $448 million in environmental upgrades to keep them burning coal until 2040. In 2007 alone, AEP completed installation of advanced emissions control . Create a password that only you will remember. All three West Virginia plants must comply with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys rules for the disposal of ash from burning the coal and the wastewater generated by the plants. A final decision should be coming in the next several weeks. Zimmer coal-fired plant in Ohio on May 31, 2022, five years ahead of a previous retirement schedule. Amos and Mountaineer are valuable to customers as capacity resources,, Appalachian Power spokesperson Jeri Matheney explained to. The 300-mile pipeline would transport 2 billion cubic feet a day of natural gas from northern West Virginia to the mid-Atlantic. Rain showers this evening with overcast skies overnight. 2023 Access Intelligence, LLC - All Rights Reserved. By, Instructions for Submitting an Event to WMKY, Contests, Giveaways, Lotteries and Raffles Policy, The West Virginia Public Service Commission, How South Africa nearly descended into civil war instead of a multi-racial democracy, Montana Rep. Zooey Zephyr sues over her removal from House floor, The guy who ate a $120,000 banana in an art museum says he was just hungry, Arkansas woman pleads not guilty to selling over 20 boxes of stolen human body parts, A decoder that uses brain scans to know what you mean mostly, Latest on Ukraine: May Day's another war day as Russia strikes Ukrainian cities. The CCR-only option at Amos and Mountaineerwhich anticipates both plants would retire by 2028would cost a total $72.7 million at Amos (including $52.1 million in capital costs, $3.7 million in other charges, and $16.9 million in asset retirement obligation [ARO] costs), and $52.1 million for the Mountaineer plant (including $19.3 million in capital costs, $3.4 million in other charges, and $29.5 million in ARO costs). Mayor Kay Summers of Clendenin, West Virginia, says she's haunted by the historic 2016 flood that nearly wiped out her town but still skeptical of the science around climate change. The model predicts one of Mitchells two units would close in two years, and the other in three. Videos, activities & resources for every occasion. But in its order on Monday, the SCC said Appalachian Power had failed to meet its burden of proving that the ELG investment is reasonable and prudent, including from an economic or a resource adequacy perspective. Still, the SCC allowed Appalachian Power to provide more analyses and evidence to support the ELG investment. Jaffe, of the Sierra Club, said she expects that if Kentucky and Virginia deny AEPs request, the company would come back to the commission in West Virginia asking for another surcharge. The John E. Amos Power Plant near Winfield, West Virginia, is being studied for early retirement, along with the Mountaineer Power Plant near New Haven, West Virginia. We will take into consideration the three commission orders and the many impacts of all possible options. "Utilities will have to find a way to manage that risk," Miller said. Sign up for regular updates from the Ohio Valley ReSource. We told the Virginia SCC that making the environmental investments for both CCR and ELG compliance at Amos and Mountaineer plants is more beneficial for customers than making only the CCR compliance investments, retiring the plants in 2028, and finding replacement capacity, she said. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Appalachian Power is supposed to report the results of its study before the end of 2022. Theyre not very efficient at turning coal into power, Holladay said, and new, more efficient technologies coming down the grid and kind of eating their lunch.. Site of an ongoing $1 billion sulfur dioxide abatement project begun . A report published by the National Bureau of Economic Research shows that the John Amos, Mountaineer and Mitchell plants will no longer be economical to operate in five years. The John Amos power station in Putnam Co., WV. Close. The plant burns up to 27,000 tons of coal a day during peak season, drawing on daily shipments of regional coal delivered by barge and by rail. The John Amos Plant has a nameplate rating of 2,933 MW, making it the largest generating plant in the AEP system. John Amos managed Robert C. Byrd's first campaign for the U.S. Senate. Chance of rain 90%. Carbon Capture The big game changer, however, could be a tax on carbon. We will take into consideration the three commission orders and the many impacts of all possible options. The plants three units were completed between 1971 and 1973. If you're interested in submitting a Letter to the Editor, click here. Both plants handle part of Appalachian Powers baseload needs in Virginia and West Virginia, so their output would have to be replaced with a dependable source. Aerial image of the John Amos plant with groundwater testing results near ash waste. "It's weather all over, you know what I mean. In a statement to POWER this week, however, Appalachian Power said that a number of options still exist for the two plants, given that regulators in West Virginia recently approved cost recovery at CCR and ELG investments at both plants. Appalachian Power is a subsidiary of American Electric Power, which is based in Columbus, Ohio. "We put so much clean energy, clean stuff on [the plant]. Litigation has complicated that plan, but EPA expects to unveil a new approach this summer. The John Amos power station in West Virginia. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. What happened in Virginia is a complicated situation, but in simple terms, Appalachian Power wanted a rate increase there, but the Sierra Club opposed it. Meanwhile, the cost of wind and solar energy has plummeted. Last year, Morgan Stanley went further and predicted there would be no coal producing electricity by 2033. The plants are aging. The coal it does not consume will not generate severance tax revenue for state and local government. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. Remaining cloudy. Thats the trajectory.. Wheeling Power and Kentucky Power each hold a 50% stake in the Mitchell Plant, which began operating in 1980. Still, Holladays model says one of the three units at the Amos plant should already be taken offline because it no longer operates economically. This pond has been capped and was closed at the end of 2017. The continued fall of coal in the U.S. will likely be steeper than most people think, said Robert Godby, an energy economist and dean at the University of Wyoming. It retired its Philip Sporn power plant in Mason County and its Kanawha River Power Plant in Kanawha County in 2015. Former acting EPA general counsel Kevin Minoli calls West Virginia's Supreme Court challenge of EPA authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions at power plants one of the most significant environmental cases in U.S. history. When AEP has built new fossil fuel-powered plants in recent years, they have been gas burners. The problem isn't AEP, it's within our own company, AUS. Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. For now, that would mean natural gas. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. The Public Service Commission of West Virginia would have a say, and undoubtedly the governor and the Legislature would step in. AEP says the energy generated at the John Amos Plant is enough to. Aerial image of the Mitchell plant with groundwater testing results near ash waste. Holladay says his model is mostly accurate, though he noted that the model cant know every specific circumstance surrounding each plant. Mullins runs West Virginia's largest commercial solar installation in the shadow of the John Amos power plant. Slated retirements to cut US coal fleet to less than half 2015 capacity by 2035, IR In Focus | Episode 4: Insights to Navigate Investor Activism, Masters of Risk | Episode 2: A Discussion with Ilya Khaykin, According to Market Intelligence, April 2023, The 2,900-MW John E. Amos coal-fired power plant near Charleston, W.Va., has been producing power since the early 1970s.
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