Overview
West Virginia is undergoing a power infrastructure transition driven by new natural gas generation, utility-scale solar additions, and major wind repowering projects. FirstEnergy is planning a 1,200 MW combined-cycle plant at Harrison Power Station, while Clearway is repowering the 335 MW Mount Storm wind facility under a long-term contract with Microsoft. PJM has selected West Virginia for major transmission upgrades, including a 260-mile, 765 kV line connecting the state to Maryland, with $2.5 billion in regional grid projects planned.
Generation Projects
Natural Gas
FirstEnergy is planning a 1,200 MW combined-cycle natural gas plant at Harrison Power Station in Harrison County, with Mon Power and Potomac Edison expected to file with the West Virginia Public Service Commission in early 2026.[1]
Solar
FirstEnergy is pairing its planned gas plant with about 70 MW of utility-scale solar across multiple sites in West Virginia, tied to its Mon Power and Potomac Edison planning filings.[1] The company also completed a 5.75 MW solar site in Berkeley County in June 2025.[2]
Wind
- Mount Storm Energy Center repower (Grant County): Clearway is repowering the existing wind facility to 335 MW capacity beginning in fall 2025, backed by a long-term PPA with Microsoft.[3]
- Catamount Energy Center (Grant & Tucker Counties): Clearway has proposed a 167 MW wind project on former mine lands.[4]
Transmission and Grid
PJM selected West Virginia for a major transmission buildout, including a 260-mile, 765 kV line between Putnam County, WV and Frederick County, MD, as part of a joint venture between AEP, Dominion Energy, and FirstEnergy.[5] The project includes new substations and is part of PJM’s Regional Transmission Expansion Plan (RTEP). PJM’s 2024 RTEP investment for West Virginia totals $2.497 billion, reflecting significant grid upgrade activity to address transmission constraints and load growth.[6]
Battery Storage
Powin will supply a 50 MW battery storage system for a solar-plus-storage microgrid supporting titanium production in Ravenswood, WV.[7]
Data Center Power Agreements
Clearway’s Mount Storm wind repower is backed by a long-term PPA with Microsoft, providing renewable energy to support tech sector load in the region.[3]
Interconnection Queue
PJM’s West Virginia state report shows natural gas makes up about 42% of new interconnection requests and solar about 28% in the state’s service territory.[6] The broader PJM interconnection queue holds 158,260 MW of active requests, dominated by solar and storage projects, creating region-wide congestion that affects project timelines and upgrade costs. PJM projects West Virginia summer peak load growth of 0.8–1.2% annually and winter peak growth of 1.0–1.1% over the next decade, intensifying transmission planning pressure.[6]
What to Watch
- FirstEnergy’s filing with the West Virginia PSC for the Harrison combined-cycle plant and solar buildout, expected early 2026
- Progress on PJM’s Valley Link 765 kV transmission line and associated substation construction
- Clearway’s Mount Storm repower timeline and any additional renewable PPAs with tech companies
Sources
[1] FirstEnergy Corp., “New Generation Facilities Proposed by FirstEnergy to Spark Job Growth and Economic Opportunity in West Virginia,” November 6, 2025, https://www.firstenergycorp.com/newsroom/news_articles/new-generation-facilities-proposed-by-fe-to-spark-job-growth-econ-opp-in-wv.html (accessed January 8, 2026).
[2] FirstEnergy Corp., “New Solar Site Generating Energy in Berkeley County, West Virginia,” June 2, 2025, https://www.firstenergycorp.com/newsroom/news_articles/new-solar-site-generating-energy-in-berkeley-county-wv.html (accessed January 8, 2026).
[3] Clearway Energy, “Mount Storm Energy Center,” n.d., https://www.clearwaywestvirginia.com/projects/mount-storm-wind (accessed January 8, 2026).
[4] Clearway Energy, “Catamount Energy Center,” n.d., https://www.clearwaywestvirginia.com/projects/catamount-wind (accessed January 8, 2026).
[5] American Electric Power, “PJM selects regional transmission projects to be jointly developed by American Electric Power, Dominion Energy, FirstEnergy,” February 27, 2025, https://www.aep.com/news/stories/view/10048/ (accessed January 8, 2026).
[6] PJM Interconnection, “2024 West Virginia State Infrastructure Report,” June 2025, https://www.pjm.com/-/media/DotCom/library/reports-notices/state-specific-reports/2024/west-virginia.pdf (accessed January 8, 2026).
[7] Cameron Murray, “Powin battery storage system to power titanium production in West Virginia,” Energy Storage News, September 12, 2024, https://www.ess-news.com/2024/09/12/powin-battery-storage-system-to-power-titanium-production-in-west-virginia/ (accessed January 8, 2026).