Pleasants Power Station

{{short description|Coal-fired power plant in Pleasants County, West Virginia}}

{{Infobox power station

|name = Pleasants Power Station

|image = File:Jar-shaped cooling towers and smokestacks at a chemical plant along the Ohio River in Pleasants County, West Virginia. The cooling towers are often mistaken for similarly shaped ones used a nuclear LCCN2015632155.tif

|image_caption = Pleasants Power Station viewed from West Virginia Route 2 in 2015

|country = United States

|location = Belmont, West Virginia

| coordinates = {{coord|39|22|01|N|81|17|41|W|region:US_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}

|owner = Energy Harbor

|status = O

|th_fuel_primary = Coal

|th_technology =

|th_combined_cycle =

|ps_electrical_capacity= 1,300

|commissioned = Unit 1: 1979
Unit 2: 1980

|decommissioned = Units 1–2: June 1, 2023 (planned)

}}

Pleasants Power Station is a 1.3-gigawatt (1,300 MW) coal power plant located near Belmont, West Virginia in Pleasants County, West Virginia. The plant is owned by Energy Harbor and began operations in 1979. The power plant was the site of the Willow Island disaster in 1978.{{cite news|url=http://wvgazette.com/News/WillowIsland/200804250422|title='It was gone': String of problems led to 51 deaths at Willow Island|last=Ward|first=Ken Jr.|date=April 27, 2008|work=Charleston Gazette|accessdate=February 7, 2010|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100205140634/http://wvgazette.com/News/WillowIsland/200804250422|url-status=dead|archivedate=February 5, 2010}}

History

In what is considered to be the deadliest construction accident in United States history, Cooling Tower #2 collapsed on April 27, 1978 as it was still under construction. 51 workers were killed in the accident.

Pleasants was completed in 1980 at a cost of $677 million. There are two cooling towers, each {{convert|428|ft|m|0}} high, and two {{convert|1000|ft|m|0|adj=on}}-high chimneys.{{cite web|url=http://www.historicmonroe.org/corp/pix/Pleasants%20Fact%20Sheet_Sept03.pdf|title=Pleasants Power Station: Fact Sheet|year=2003|publisher=Allegheny Energy Supply|accessdate=February 7, 2010}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}} In 2008, Allegheny Energy completed a $105 million project which saw the installation of flue-gas desulfurization (FGD) technology which reduced sulfur dioxide ({{SO2}}) emissions at Pleasants.{{cite news|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20080320005868/en/Allegheny-Energy-Completes-Pleasants-Power-Station-Environmental|title=Allegheny Energy Completes Pleasants Power Station Environmental Project|publisher=BusinessWire|date=March 20, 2008|accessdate=February 17, 2018}} FirstEnergy would assume ownership of Pleasants following its merger with Allegheny Energy in 2011.{{cite web |url=http://pdf.secdatabase.com/165/0001193125-10-028123.pdf |title=Allegheny Energy, Form 8-K, Current Report, Filing Date Feb 11, 2010 |publisher=secdatabase.com |accessdate=August 4, 2018 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304023948/http://pdf.secdatabase.com/165/0001193125-10-028123.pdf |archivedate=March 4, 2016 }}

In December 2016, FirstEnergy announced they were putting Pleasants up for sale. FirstEnergy had plans to sell Pleasants to its subsidiaries, Potomac Edison and Monongahela Power for $195 million. The sale would help meet its subsidiaries projected shortfalls of electricity demand.{{cite news|url=http://www.journal-news.net/news/local-news/2017/09/psc-sets-public-hearing-on-power-plant-sale/|title=PSC sets public hearing on power plant sale|last=McVey|first=John|newspaper=Martinsburg Journal|date=September 6, 2017|accessdate=February 10, 2018}} Although the West Virginia Public Service Commission gave a conditional approval of the sale in January 2018, it was rejected by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) as the sale did not meet public interest.{{cite news|url=https://www.wvgazettemail.com/business/psc-gives-conditional-approval-for-pleasants-plant-deal-after-ferc/article_18e11774-c005-5a20-a3c9-67da11b41dc2.html|title=PSC gives conditional approval for Pleasants plant deal after FERC rejection|last=Garland|first=Max|newspaper=Charleston Gazette-Mail|date=January 30, 2018|accessdate=February 10, 2018}}{{cite news|url=http://www.mariettatimes.com/news/2018/01/pleasants-power-plant-sale-rejected-by-ferc/|title=Pleasants Power plant sale rejected by FERC|last=Dunlap|first=Brett|newspaper=The Marietta Times|date=January 16, 2018|accessdate=February 10, 2018}} The sale of Pleasants was cancelled the following month.{{cite news|url=http://www.newsandsentinel.com/news/business/2018/02/company-pleasants-power-station-deal-off/|title=Company: Pleasants Power Station deal off|last=Mancini|first=Jess|newspaper=The Parkersburg News and Sentinel|date=February 7, 2018|accessdate=February 10, 2018}} This decision forced FirstEnergy to consider either selling or closing Pleasants by the end of 2018.{{cite news|url=http://www.newsandsentinel.com/news/business/2018/02/pleasants-power-station-to-be-sold-or-deactivated/|title=Pleasants Power Station to be sold or deactivated|newspaper=The Parkersburg News and Sentinel|last=Mancini|first=Jess|date=February 17, 2018|accessdate=February 17, 2018}} Ownership was then transferred to FirstEnergy Solutions in September 2018 with closure delayed to June 1, 2022.{{cite news|url=https://www.wvgazettemail.com/business/firstenergy-spokeswoman-pleasants-power-station-to-remain-open-until-june/article_21aab055-4aa2-561c-8068-d5b0b4ab3d01.html|title=FirstEnergy spokeswoman: Pleasants Power Station to remain open until June 2022|last=Zuckerman|first=Jake|newspaper=Charleston Gazette-Mail|date=October 18, 2018|accessdate=October 18, 2018}} To stave off a potential closure, a bill passed by the West Virginia Legislature and signed into law by Governor Jim Justice would give FirstEnergy Solutions $12.5 million in annual tax breaks.{{cite news|url=http://www.theintelligencer.net/news/top-headlines/2019/07/governor-justice-signs-tax-break-for-pleasants-power-station/|title=Governor Justice Signs Tax Break for Pleasants Power Station|last=Adams|first=Steven Allen|newspaper=The Intelligencer|date=July 31, 2019|accessdate=August 4, 2019}}

FirstEnergy's generating division Energy Harbor (previously called FirstEnergy Solutions) announced in March 2022 that it would close both units by June 2023.{{Cite web |title=Energy Harbor Transitions to 100% Carbon Free Energy Infrastructure Company in 2023 |url=https://energyharbor.com/en/about/news-and-information/energy-harbor-transitions-to-100-percent-carbon-free-energy-infrastructure-company-in-2023 |access-date=2022-03-26 |website=energyharbor.com}} However, the West Virginia Public Service Commission approved a subsidy deal under which Mon Power ratepayers will pay $3 million a month to keep the power plant from closing.{{Cite web |last=Tate |first=Curtis |date=2023-04-25 |title=PSC Approves Proposal To Keep Pleasants Power Station From Closing |url=https://wvpublic.org/psc-approves-proposal-to-keep-pleasants-power-station-from-closing/ |access-date=2023-05-11 |website=West Virginia Public Broadcasting |language=en-US}} However, the plant ceased operation in June 2023 and the subsidy deal was later abandoned in July as Quantum Pleasants purchased the power plant with plans to use the hydrogen byproducts of their graphite production to power the plant.{{cite web |last1=Tate |first1=Curtis |title=Pleasants Power Station, Once Facing Closure, Now Has A New Owner |url=https://wvpublic.org/pleasants-power-station-once-facing-closure-now-has-a-new-owner/ |website=West Virginia Public Broadcasting |access-date=30 August 2023 |date=3 August 2023}}{{cite web |last1=Adams |first1=Steven Allan |title=Pleasants Power transfer to Omnis finalized |url=https://www.theintelligencer.net/news/top-headlines/2023/08/pleasants-power-transfer-to-omnis-finalized/ |website=theintelligencer.net |access-date=30 August 2023}} Until the plant is upgraded to use hydrogen, it has resumed coal operations starting August 31, 2023 under the new ownership.{{cite web |title=New owner restarts West Virginia coal-fired power plant and intends to convert it to hydrogen use |url=https://wacotrib.com/ap/business/new-owner-restarts-west-virginia-coal-fired-power-plant-and-intends-to-convert-it-to/article_882f7e29-0d8b-5e48-9f2e-01cb9135f8d4.html |website=Waco Tribune-Herald |access-date=31 August 2023 |language=en |date=30 August 2023}}

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20080511170744/http://historicmonroe.org/corp/willow-island.htm Willow Island, West Virginia on HistoricMonroe.org]
{{Commons category inline|Pleasants Power Station}}

Category:Energy infrastructure completed in 1979

Category:Energy infrastructure completed in 1980

Category:FirstEnergy

Category:Coal-fired power stations in West Virginia

Category:Buildings and structures in Pleasants County, West Virginia