Mon Power & Potomac Edison Invest in Upgrades at Harrison and Fort Martin Power Stations Companies: Will Keep Coal Plants Working

CHARLESTON – Earlier this year, the West Virginia Legislature passed a bill that allowed utility companies to fast-track recovery of costs for upgrades to existing power plants if the upgrades help keep West Virginia coal miners working.

The bill is already doing what was intended.

FirstEnergy subsidiaries Mon Power and Potomac Edison recently submitted a request to the Public Service Commission of West Virginia (PSC) to recover costs for environmental control projects that support the long-term operation of Harrison and Fort Martin Power Stations.

The upgrades are part of FirstEnergy's investments in emissions control at Harrison and Fort Martin that allow the plants to meet increasingly stringent environmental regulations.  These investments will allow the plants to continue generating low-emitting and affordable electricity, providing well-paying jobs, and contributing significant tax income to surrounding communities.

As I’m sure everyone knows, Republican Presidential candidate, Donald Trump, laid out details of his “America First” economic plan in a speech in Detroit earlier this week, that was carried live on nationwide television.   While he spoke of tax reductions and reform and changing and/or nullifying trade agreements, the significance to our industry were his proposals for regulatory reform and advancing a workable energy program that will put our people back to work.  Below are some of the pertinent excerpts from his speech that will give you a feel for the positive tone of his proposals.

By Alex Wiederspiel in News | April 05, 2016 at 6:43PM

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — Chris Hamilton, the Vice President of the West Virginia Coal Association, does not think Senator Joe Manchin should need any additional input on the nomination of Merrick Garland to the U.S. Supreme Court.

“Justice Garland is a sitting judge on the D.C. Circuit, and he’s had a number of EPA cases before him,” Hamilton said Tuesday on the MetroNews-affiliated “The Mike Queen Show” on the AJR News Network. “And he has, almost without exception, upheld the agency’s rules, rule making, and requirements that it has proposed and implemented.”

The WV Coal Association sent an open letter to Senator Manchin expressing their disapproval of the nominee.

“We’d like to see Senator Manchin join with the core of U.S. senators who have vowed not to seat Justice Garland,” he said.

The 2016 Joint Spring Meeting of the West Virginia Coal Mining Institute, the West Virginia Coal Association, and the Central Appalachian Section of SME will be held at The Resort at Glade Springs, Daniels, West Virginia during the period May 11-13, 2016.

A block of rooms has been reserved at The Resort at Glade Springs, Daniels, WV for our meeting. The block reservation will terminate on Sunday, March 27, 2016. Please make your reservation no later than Sunday, March 27, 2016 by calling The Resort at Glade Springs Reservations at 1-877-814-7316 or (304) 763-2000.

Please advise them that you are with the West Virginia Coal Mining Institute when making reservations in order to get the discounted rate.

The block cost is $135.00 per night for single/double rooms. An additional Resort Fee of 10% plus tax per room per night will be added.

We recommend that you make lodging reservations for the Joint Spring Meeting as soon as you develop your schedule but no later than March 27, 2016.

West Virginia Coal Association Senior Vice President Chris Hamilton recently responded to a request by Senator Joe Manchin for input into his decision to support the Obama Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland. Garland is known for supporting EPA power grabs. 

Following is the letter Vice President Hamilton sent in response.

Senator Manchin, 

I received your invitation to participate in the public discussion of President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland this Thursday in Charleston.

As you are well aware, the single most important issue before the U.S. Supreme Court is the resolution of President Obama’s “Clean Power Plan”.  Recall that in February, days before the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, the High Court elected to stay the Clean Power Plan until such time the Court could hear evidentiary arguments. The Court’s decision was due in no small part to Justice Scalia's strong persuasion and vote, and the decision was in full recognition of the devastating implications of moving forward with the President’s Climate Plan if it ultimately is found to be unlawful or otherwise inappropriate to issue.