FirstEnergy Picks Maidsville Site for 1,200 MW Gas Plant, Adds 70 MW Solar Plan

FirstEnergy Picks Maidsville Site for Major Gas Plant

Mon Power and Potomac Edison, subsidiaries of FirstEnergy Corp., select a 35-acre parcel adjacent to the Fort Martin Power Station in Maidsville, West Virginia for a proposed 1,200 megawatt natural gas-fired power plant. If the West Virginia Public Service Commission approves the companies’ Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), site work could begin as early as 2027 with the plant coming online in late 2031. FirstEnergy says the unit would generate roughly enough electricity to serve about half a million homes and forms a central element of its plan to maintain reliable, affordable service while keeping existing Fort Martin and Harrison coal-fired units in operation.

The proposal emphasizes use of existing transmission and plant infrastructure at Fort Martin to limit the project’s incremental footprint, leveraging proximity to established grid connections and operational facilities. Company officials present the new gas plant as a modernization step that complements current generation assets and addresses growing regional demand for dispatchable power. The plant is framed as enhancing system reliability, particularly during peak periods and extreme weather, by adding flexible, on-demand capacity to the West Virginia supply mix.

Regulatory review is underway with the companies expecting a Public Service Commission decision within the next year. FirstEnergy highlights that construction would support local economies through job creation and increased tax revenues and that the project fits into a broader strategy of balancing fuel sources to preserve affordability for residential and commercial customers. The company positions the plan as advancing regional resilience while minimizing new land disturbance by siting the facility adjacent to an existing power complex.

Solar Siting on Reclaimed Lands

As part of the same IRP, FirstEnergy seeks approval for roughly 70 megawatts of new solar capacity sited on former industrial and reclaimed mine lands. Proposed projects include a 50 MW array on a 188-acre former strip mine at a private airfield in Valley Point, Preston County, and an 8.4 MW installation on a 51-acre site surrounding a Mon Power substation in the Wylie Ridge area of Weirton, Hancock County.

Economic and Grid Resilience Case

FirstEnergy’s West Virginia and Maryland president, Jim Myers, stresses that pairing modern natural gas generation with existing plants and adding solar on reclaimed sites helps ensure families and businesses continue to receive reliable, affordable power. The company maintains the mix advances a balanced, resilient energy portfolio across its West Virginia service territory while delivering local economic benefits during construction and operation.