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Pleasants Power Station to remain open

From staff reports

ST. MARYS — The Pleasants Power Station will remain in operation through May 2022, FirstEnergy’s Allegheny Energy Supply (AES) said Thursday.

The energy company, headquartered in Akron, Ohio, notified PJM Interconnection (PJM), the regional transmission organization, that it will extend the notice of the deactivation of the Pleasants Power Station in Pleasants County to June 1, 2022.

“Keeping Pleasants in operation through May 2022 allows the plant to fulfill current capacity obligations and provides additional time for evaluation of the long-term plan for the station prior to deactivation,” said Jennifer Young, supervisor, electric delivery and state communications for FirstEnergy Corp.

The plant was scheduled to close in January 2019.

Gov. Jim Justice issued the following statement Thursday after it was learned the FirstEnergy Pleasants Power Station will remain in operation.

“FirstEnergy has notified the regional grid administrator, PJM, that it intends to keep the plant, that employs 160 people, operational until June 1, 2022,” Justice said.

“I have worked hard with President Trump, Energy Secretary Rick Perry, FirstEnergy CEO Chuck Jones and many legislators and county commissioners to make sure this plant stays open,” Justice added.

“While the plant will remain operational until June 2022, today’s announcement will provide a cushion for FirstEnergy Solutions to stabilize the operation. I am hopeful that over the next three and a half years a permanent fix for the long-term operation of the facility will be reached so that it remains a vital part of America’s power grid. I am encouraged that the men and women who work at this plant will be there producing power for our country for decades to come,” Justice said.

“I am so glad that the plant is staying open for a few more years,” said Sen. Donna Boley, R-Pleasants. “All those employed will be able to keep their jobs here even longer,” said Boley.

The new deactivation date allows the plant to remain in operation until the transfer of the plant from AES to FirstEnergy Solutions (FES) is complete, as part of FirstEnergy’s settlement agreement with FES and the FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company (FENOC), Young said.

In April 2018, FirstEnergy announced that it had reached an agreement in principle to transfer ownership of Pleasants Power Station to creditors in the bankruptcy of FES and its subsidiaries, and FENOC. The agreement was approved by the bankruptcy court in late September. The settlement agreement was intended to fully release FirstEnergy and related parties from all claims, Young said.

The Pleasants Power Station, which opened in 1979, is comprised of two 650 mw units capable of providing electrical power to more than 1.3 million homes.

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