Replacing coal ash landfills in West Virginia with solar energy facilities – pv magazine USA
Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, a 6 MW project replaces a permanently closed site.
August 19, 2022
FirstEnergy Corp., a power company serving West Virginia, has announced that it will permanently phase out its coal ash facilities and, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, replace them with solar power facilities. The utility is planning a 6 MW site as part of a larger 50 MW solar portfolio.
Coal ash, a by-product of burning coal for electricity, is the second largest waste stream after household waste. It contains toxic chemicals such as arsenic and lead and is usually buried in treated landfills. The facility used the ash to make cement and bury toxic materials in landfills.
Mon Power, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy, will build a solar facility on a 27-acre site. Another solar facility will be built on a 44-acre reclaimed coal mine site.
Mon Power and Potomac Edison are accepting applications for the utility-run “community” solar program. The program allows customers to purchase renewable energy credits equivalent to the production of solar power plants. Credits are used to offset utility costs.
Earlier this year, the largest solar project in the state’s history was announced. The 250 MW project will be installed on a former coal strip mining site. Currently, he has only 20 MW of solar installed in the state, so this project will be a landmark in the progress of the state’s energy transition.
Image: Kent Mason
According to project officials, the project will be located on 3,000 acres of a former surface mine site in Hobbett in southern West Virginia. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, up to 300 workers are expected to be employed during construction, and the total project cost is estimated at about $320 million. (Thayer).
The solar array was developed by Savion and SEVA WV is part of a multi-phase project to revitalize the former mining area with plans to invest in additional industry, accommodation, hospitality and recreation, including 80 miles of new trails. Lead other developments. As an extension of the Hatfield-McCoy ATV system.
In 2020, the state passed legislation allowing utilities to own and operate up to 200 MW of renewable power generation facilities to meet the state’s power needs. The addition of new renewable power generation could boost economic development, the statement said. That’s because “more and more companies” are demanding that some of the electricity they buy comes from renewable sources.
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