Pleasants Power Station
| Company type | Power station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Energy |
| Founded | 1979 |
| Headquarters | Belmont , United States |
Area served | West Virginia |
| Products | Electricity generation |
| Owner | Energy Harbor (since 2022), Quantum Pleasants (since 2023) |
Pleasants Power Station is a coal-fired facility with a generating capacity of 1.3 gigawatts (1,300 MW), situated near Belmont, West Virginia, within Pleasants County, West Virginia. The plant, currently owned by Energy Harbor, commenced operations in 1979. The location is historically significant due to the 1978 Willow Island disaster.
History
On April 27, 1978, the site was the scene of the deadliest construction mishap in U.S. history when Cooling Tower #2 collapsed during its build phase, resulting in the deaths of 51 workers.
The power station was finalized in 1980 with an investment totaling $677 million. It includes two cooling towers each standing 428 feet tall and two chimneys reaching 1,000 feet in height. In 2008, Allegheny Energy allocated $105 million for installing flue-gas desulfurization equipment to lower sulfur dioxide emissions. Ownership shifted to FirstEnergy following its merger with Allegheny in 2011.
In December 2016, FirstEnergy revealed intentions to sell Pleasants for $195 million to its subsidiaries Potomac Edison and Monongahela Power to manage anticipated deficits in electricity supply. Although the West Virginia Public Service Commission conditionally approved this transfer in January 2018, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) denied it on grounds of insufficient public interest benefits, leading to cancellation.
By late 2018, facing potential shutdown or sale, the plant's ownership transferred to FirstEnergy Solutions in September of that year, with closure postponed until June 1, 2022. To avert closure, the West Virginia Legislature authorized annual tax incentives amounting to $12.5 million for FirstEnergy Solutions.
In March 2022, Energy Harbor (formerly FirstEnergy Solutions) announced plans to retire both units by June 2023. The West Virginia Public Service Commission approved a subsidy mandating Mon Power customers to contribute $3 million monthly to sustain operations. Despite this financial support, Pleasants ceased generating electricity in June 2023.
Quantum Pleasants purchased the facility in July 2023 with intentions to repurpose it for utilizing hydrogen byproducts derived from graphite manufacturing as fuel. Until the conversion is completed, coal-fired production recommenced under new management starting August 31, 2023.