Citing Cost of Coal, Mon Power Asks PSC for $94 Million Rate Increase

Mon Power has asked the West Virginia Public Service Commission for a $94 million rate increase starting May 1.

The company has filed written testimony in recent weeks to the PSC that the cost of coal has risen from $35 a ton in 2020 to $84 a ton.

Mon Power spokesman Will Boye said the increase will add $9.12 a month to the average residential customer’s bill. The average bill would increase from $105.92 to $115.04, or about 9%.

“Adjusting costs now rather than waiting until the next annual fuel case will help avoid an even steeper cost increase at year end,” Boye said. “We work hard to keep energy costs manageable for our customers, and even with the proposed increase, our West Virginia rates would remain lower than those of surrounding states.”

Mon Power operates the Harrison Power Station in Harrison County and the Fort Martin Power Station in Monongalia County. Mon Power serves about 400,000 customers in West Virginia.

The increase will also affect Potomac Edison customers in West Virginia. Mon Power and Potomac Edison are subsidiaries of Cleveland-based FirstEnergy.

The company also cited winter disruptions in coal transportation, such as river icing, high water and lock and dam outages that prevented barges from moving. There was also a fire at the Harrison plant in February.

On Wednesday, Appalachian Power asked the PSC for a $297 million rate increase starting Sept. 1, citing many of the same challenges.

For a residential customer who uses 1,000 kilowatt-hours a month, that will add roughly $18 a month to the bill, according to the company.