Charleston, W.Va. – The West Virginia Coal Association filed a motion with the West Virginia Public Service Commission on Friday, Feb. 19 to intervene in a case involving the John Amos Power Plant (Putnam Co.), Mountaineer Power Plant (Mason Co.) and Mitchell Power Plant (Marshall Co.) to mandate the Ohio based, parent utility, American Electric Power (AEP), to continue operating the state-regulated plants throughout their planned operating life cycle.
“These plants have provided the state and region an enormous infusion of tax dollars and revenues for decades and more importantly keep thousands of West Virginians gainfully employed,” said Chris Hamilton, President of the West Virginia Coal Association. “The real rate payers of our state – the power plant workers and area residents – have kept these facilities in tip-top operating condition which should assure that these plants continue to operate for their planned life cycle and not close prematurely because of growing Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) concerns or at the whims of the Sierra Club or other environmental groups.”