This week's premiere broadcast of Mountain Stage was recorded on the campus of West Virginia University at the Canady Creative Arts Center. On this episode, we hear live performances from Duke Robillard Band, Cedric Burnside, Sam Weber, Las Cafeteras, and The Black Feathers.
A subsidiary of electric utility FirstEnergy is filing for bankruptcy, but Mon Power customers in West Virginia should not expect changes to their electricity service.
FirstEnergy Solutions filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy over the weekend. The move is expected to affect coal and nuclear plants in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
The filing does not affect Ohio-based FirstEnergy Corp., the parent company of Mon Power, Potomac Edison and Allegheny Energy Solutions. FirstEnergy Corp. serves about 6 million customers across Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York.
Tricia Ingraham, a spokeswoman for the utility, said the company’s West Virginian customers should not expect changes to their power service.
“They’ll still receive the same service from their utility,” she said. “They’ll still contact the same company for questions about their bills or questions about their service, and we are continuing to invest in those businesses.”
FirstEnergy Corp. and its subsidiaries operate three coal-fired power plants in West Virignia. No changes are slated for the the 1,098-megawatt Fort Martin Plant in Maidsville and the the 1,984-megawatt Harrison Plant in Haywood. The company previously announced that it planned to shut down the 1,300-megawatt Pleasants Power Station by January of next year. Pending a buyer that is still on track to happen, Ingraham said.
The filing comes days after FirstEnergy Solutions asked the U.S. Department of Energy for an emergency order to help keep its coal and nuclear plants running.
In a letter, the company said the power grid faces grave threats if coal and nuclear plants are allowed to close. Critics of the request said it is an attempt by the company’s to bolster its bottom line at a time when FirstEnergy’s aging fleet of coal and nuclear plants is struggling to stay competitive in the face of low natural gas prices and the falling cost of renewable energy.
On this West Virginia Morning, uncertainty about the future amidst a changing climate has given rise in recent years to a phenomenon known as "climate anxiety." Ahead of Earth Day Monday, Chris Schulz spoke with Amy Parsons-White, sustainability manager for Marshall University, to discuss this mental health issue and potential solutions.
Recycling is a major component of sustainability - and composting highlights recycling at the organic level. At Marshall University, West Virginia’s first commercial composting facility is spinning its wheels.
West Virginia geospatial officials are developing new technology to help visualize flood and landslide risk in the state. The project aims to create more accessible and updated community-level flood risk data.
On this West Virginia Morning, when your power goes out, water bill comes in or your nearby fire hydrant looks ancient, there’s a state organization keeping tabs on all of that and more. Randy Yohe talks with Charlotte Lane, chair of the West Virginia Public Service Commission, on how this regulating entity balances public protection with keeping utilities viable.