CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A West Virginia coal-fired power plant will be sold or retired next year, its owner said.
Akron, Ohio-based Energy Harbor announced the plan this week for the Pleasants Power station along with a coal and diesel facility in Stratton, Ohio, as part of its commitment to become carbon free.
The Pleasants Power station is located on the Ohio River near Belmont, northeast of Parkersburg.
In 2019, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice signed a bill passed by the legislature to stop charging the Pleasants Power station’s owner a $12.5 million tax. The plant was owned at the time by FirstEnergy Solutions.
“Retiring the fossil fueled plants is a difficult but necessary strategic business decision critical to the continued transformation of our company,” David Hamilton, Energy Harbor’s executive vice president, CEO and chief nuclear officer, said in a statement.