Eighteen states led by West Virginia and a coalition of U.S. energy companies want strict limits on EPA authority to issue rules that could transform entire industries. The ELG rule, for example, has been mired in rollbacks, prompting some uncertainty within the coal power sector about where and when to make investments. "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. This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. The problem isn't AEP, it's within our own company, AUS. expenses from AEPs Virginia customers associated with federal rules regulating the disposal of coal ash at the two plants in West Virginia. Mullins runs West Virginia's largest commercial solar installation in the shadow of the John Amos power plant. 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.. The John Amos power plant in Winfield, West Virginia, burns up to 27,000 tons of Appalachian coal each day to power more than 2 million homes and businesses across 3 states. But one of the reports authors predicts they wont last to the end of this decade. "While the EPA does have a narrow array of authority to act in the area of carbon emissions, it's nowhere near what the Biden administration is suggesting," said West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, a Republican, who warns thousands of jobs, industry profits, state tax revenue, and a reliable source of electricity are on the line. AEP says the energy generated at the John Amos Plant is enough to power about 2 million homes. The examiner also recommended that if the Virginia SCC did not ultimately grant Appalachian Power approval of the ELG investments, the regulatory body should delay consideration of the reasonableness and prudency of previously incurred ELG costs until a future case., While AEP has made a major effort to pare down its reliance on coal powerkeeping with ambitions it announced in September 2019. Without the upgrades, which cost an estimated $444 million, the . Inside and outside our model, 2040 is hard to imagine, said Scott Holladay, an associate professor of economics at the University of Tennessee. From that year through 2020, power companies retired 95 gigawatts of that power, nearly a third. Our unique approach, utilizing dredging and concave contouring, reduced closure time and costs to rate payers. Choose wisely! Mitchell and Amos began operating in 1971, and Mountaineer in 1980. Were going to have additional hundreds of million dollars of investment thats going to be stranded and have to be paid for by the ratepayers, he said. Last year, AEP said it would shut down or refuel 5.6 GW of its 2020 coal-fired power fleet by 2030 to comply with environmental rulesincluding recent revisions to federal CCR and ELG rulesand rebalance its portfolio in a bid to meet ambitious climate goals. Coal produced 40% of the nations electricity a decade ago, compared with 20% in 2020. Other than in their local communities, the loss of Sporn and Kanawha River were barely noticed. Doing the work on their wastewater systems would delay the cost of retiring the plants and finding new sources of power to replace them. For example, NRG Energy Inc. announced June 17 that it would retire about 1,600 MW of coal capacity in the PJM Interconnection following the results of the May capacity auction. Be Nice. But John Amos was also a Democratic National Committeeman. Brian D. Sherrick, managing director of Projects for AEP Service Corp., continued operation under CCR and ELG rules would cost $177.1 million at Amos and $72.9 million at Mountaineer. 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. Ohio Valley ReSource. It predicts Mountaineers single unit would shut down in three years. All Rights Reserved. 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. If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. Create a password that only you will remember. Use the 'Report' link on And while that order would have meant Mitchell will need to cease operations in 2028, the PSC on Aug. 19 issued another order granting Kentucky Powers request for a partial rehearing of the July 15 order. Because the power generated by the plants supplies other states, AEP is seeking approval for the plan from the state public service commissions in Kentucky and Virginia. AEP shut down the Conesville Plant in Coshocton, A 2018 investigation by the Ohio Valley ReSource and partner station WFPL. After the closure, a series of channels drained the former pond site, connecting to an . Still, power customers will have to pay those costs whenever the plants shut down. The Congressional Budget Office estimates a $25 a ton carbon tax, indexed to inflation, could raise $1 trillion over a decade. But you have to go through the process the right way," Morrisey said. Charlie Reynolds, a Republican from West Virginias Marshall County, told the commission, referring to the Mitchell Plant. With a nameplate rating of 2,933 MW, it is the largest utility in the AEP system. Coal ash disposal sites around the region pose environmental and health risks. Appalachian Power is supposed to report the results of its study before the end of 2022.
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