By Damian Phillips, WV News
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WV News) — As work gets underway on the Wolf Summit Energy natural-gas-fired power plant to be built in Harrison County, officials say they are excited for what the project will mean for the area.
Site preparation for the plant is underway, and controlled blasting is expected to begin in mid-October.
Construction of the plant will create 400 temporary jobs. The plant could be operational by 2027, at which time it’s expected to create 30 permanent positions.
“It’s one of those projects that you weren’t sure was ever going to happen. And now that we’re to this point, I couldn’t be more thrilled to see it happening because it’s going to be a big injection of money into the community while being built,” said Harrison County Commissioner David Hinkle.
The project has a long history. Originally proposed in 2017 by Energy Solutions Consortium as a 579-megawatt combined-cycle plant with a $615 million investment, the project stalled after a lawsuit over air permits and difficulties securing financing. ESC ultimately withdrew, leaving the site undeveloped.
