Mon Power and Potomac Edison have identified a 35-acre site adjacent to the Fort Martin Power Station in Maidsville, West Virginia, US, as the proposed location for a new 1.2GW natural gas power station.
The two companies, both part of FirstEnergy, have submitted the plan to the Public Service Commission of West Virginia and expect a decision within the coming year.
If approved, initial site work could begin as early as 2027, with operations targeted to start by late 2031.
The planned facility is designed to provide sufficient electricity for approximately 500,000 homes in response to increasing demand across the region.
The proposal forms part of Mon Power and Potomac Edison's Integrated Resource Plan, which outlines strategies to maintain power supply over the next decade.
This plan includes continued operation of the existing Fort Martin and Harrison power stations and proposes additional solar resources.
FirstEnergy West Virginia and Maryland president Jim Myers said: “The Fort Martin Power Station is already an important part of our power infrastructure, and this new plant builds on that strength.
“By adding modern natural gas generation alongside our existing plants, we are making sure families and businesses across West Virginia have the reliable and affordable power they depend on today and for years to come.”
Alongside the natural gas power project, the companies are seeking approval to develop 70MW of new solar generation capacity.
Proposed locations include a former strip mine at Valley Point in Preston County (50MW), land surrounding a substation in Weirton's Wylie Ridge area in Hancock County (8.4MW), and another reclaimed strip mine property in Davis, Tucker County (11.5MW).
These developments would add to an existing installed solar capacity of 30MW on brownfield and previously industrial sites since 2024.
Mon Power currently supplies electricity to around 395,000 customers across 34 West Virginia counties, while Potomac Edison serves roughly 285,000 customers in seven Maryland counties and another 155,000 customers in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle.
