Mon Power and Potomac Edison installs 14,000 solar panels

In a significant step for West Virginia’s renewable energy landscape, Mon Power and Potomac Edison have successfully completed their second utility-scale solar project. Located in Rivesville, Marion County, the new facility gives new life to a 27-acre brownfield site, previously home to the Rivesville Power Station which was decommissioned in 2012.

From Coal Site to Clean Energy Hub as Mon Power and Potomac Edison installs 14,000 solar panels

The Rivesville site is now a modern power-generating facility featuring nearly 14,000 solar cells, capable of producing 5.5 megawatts (MW) of clean electricity for the state. According to industry data from the Solar Energy Industries Association, this capacity is enough to power approximately 950 homes. The project emphasized local and national investment, employing 63 local union workers during construction and utilizing American-made solar panel components, steel racking, and electrical equipment.

“Our solar projects create construction jobs and support economic growth by helping West Virginia recruit and retain employers,” stated Dan Rossero, Vice President of FirstEnergy’s West Virginia Generation. “We are pleased to reach another important milestone in our solar program and are excited about the interest we continue to receive from subscribers.”

Driving West Virginia’s Renewable Goals

This installation is a key part of a broader initiative by the FirstEnergy subsidiaries to develop 50 MW of solar power across five sites. This first phase aligns with a 2020 West Virginia state law that authorizes electric companies to own and operate up to 200 MW of solar energy facilities. Such developments are crucial for economic growth, as an increasing number of businesses seek to power their operations with renewable sources.

The Rivesville project follows the January completion of the companies’ first site, an 18.9 MW facility at Fort Martin Power Station. A third project is already under construction in Berkeley County.

To engage the community, Mon Power and Potomac Edison offer a program where customers can purchase Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs) generated by these projects. An SREC represents one megawatt-hour of clean power. Participants, which include both residents and major commercial clients like the National Energy Technology Laboratory, can support the renewable transition by paying an additional 4 cents per kilowatt-hour. In total, the five planned projects are expected to generate over 87,000 SRECs annually.

Sources

1. A solar farm comes online on a coal ash landfill site in West Virginia
2. FirstEnergy Corp. finishes second utility-scale solar site in West …
3. West Virginia wiring up for solar power – enerG Magazine
4. Mon Power Brings Solar Grazing to West Virginia Site – Barchart.com
5. Rivesville Solar Site fact sheet – FirstEnergy
6. New Solar Site in Marion County, West Virginia, Generating Clean …
7. Mon Power expands West Virginia solar footprint with new site
8. Power companies transform former coal ash landfill site into massive …