The Public Service Commission of West Virginia (West Virginia PSC) has approved American Electric Power’s (AEP) request to transfer its two-thirds ownership in John E Amos Coal-fired Unit 3 in Winfield to Appalachian Power.
In addition to this, the West Virginia PSC has postponed ruling on the 50% transfer of the 1,600MW Mitchell plant to Appalachian Power and a merger of AEP subsidiary Wheeling Power and Appalachian Power.
Earlier in December 2012, AEP has sought approval from West Virginia PSC and the Virginia State Corporation Commission (Virginia SCC) for the transfer of AEP Ohio’s stake (867MW) of Amos Plant Unit 3 (1,300MW) and the Mitchell plant transfer to Appalachian Power.
The Virginia SCC has approved the Amos Plant Unit 3 transfer and the Wheeling Power merger on 31 July 2013, but has not approved the Mitchell plant ownership transfer.
The company has also sought consent to transfer the remaining 50% stake in the Mitchell plant to Kentucky Power, which was approved by the Kentucky Public Service Commission on 7 October 2013.
On 29 April 2013, the company received initial approvals from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for the ownership transfer of the Amos and Mitchell plants and for the merger of Wheeling Power and Appalachian Power.
AEP expects to receive final approvals from the FERC that will allow the transfer of the Amos Plant Unit 3 to Appalachian Power and 50% of Mitchell Plant to Kentucky Power by the end of 2013.
AEP president and CEO Nicholas Akins said the commission has approved the Amos transfer and recognised that the company’s Appalachian Power customers would benefit from the low-cost, reliable electricity that Amos can provide.
"Although the West Virginia Commission recognised the benefits of acquiring Mitchell, they deferred ruling on the Wheeling Power merger and the transfer of the Mitchell generation, as we had requested given the prior ruling of the Virginia Commission," said Akins.
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