Two subsidiaries of the US power utility FirstEnergy Corp., namely Mon Power and Potomac Edison, have identified a site adjacent to the Fort Martin Power Station in Maidsville, West Virginia (United States), as the proposed location for a new 1.2 GW gas-fired power plant. Both companies have submitted their proposal to the Public Service Commission of West Virginia and expect a decision within the next year (FirstEnergy press release, 16/02/2026). If approved, preliminary site work could begin as early as 2027, with commercial operations targeted for late 2031.
The plan also calls for the continued operation of the existing Fort Martin (1.1 GW) and Harrison (2 GW) coal-fired power plants, along with the development of additional solar resources.
In parallel with the natural gas project, the companies are seeking approval to build 70 MW of new solar capacity. Proposed solar locations include a former strip mine at Valley Point in Preston County (50 MW), land surrounding a substation in Weirton’s Wylie Ridge area in Hancock County (8.4 MW), and another reclaimed strip mine property in Davis, Tucker County (11.5 MW). These projects would expand the companies’ existing 30 MW of installed solar capacity on brownfield and previously industrial sites developed since 2024.
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