Mon Power and Potomac Edison, subsidiaries of FirstEnergy Corp., have completed their third utility-scale solar site in West Virginia. The Marlowe site in Berkeley County is now operational with over 17,000 solar panels producing up to 5.75 megawatts of renewable energy. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, one megawatt can power an average of 173 homes.
The facility spans approximately 36 acres along Interstate 81 and the Potomac River on land previously used as an ash landfill for the R. Paul Smith Power Station. After harvesting over three million tons of ash for cement manufacturing, FirstEnergy closed the landfill in 2022, allowing redevelopment for solar use.
Dan Rossero, Vice President of FirstEnergy's West Virginia Generation, stated: "Our solar projects create construction jobs, support U.S. manufacturing and help us accommodate increased demand for electricity."
This initiative aligns with a 2020 West Virginia Legislature bill permitting electric companies to own and operate up to 200 megawatts of solar generation facilities. Mon Power and Potomac Edison plan five solar projects totaling 50 megawatts. Their first project at Fort Martin Power Station was completed in early 2024 with an output of 18.9 megawatts, followed by a site in Rivesville generating 5.5 megawatts last fall.
The combined projects will generate over 87,000 solar renewable energy credits (SRECs) available for purchase by customers supporting renewable energy in West Virginia.
Residential customers and large commercial entities like the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) in Morgantown are enrolled in the program. SRECs cost four cents per kilowatt hour above normal rates.
Mon Power serves around 395,000 customers across West Virginia while Potomac Edison caters to about 285,000 customers in Maryland and another 155,000 in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle.
FirstEnergy serves more than six million customers across several states including Ohio and Pennsylvania through its extensive electric distribution network.
For more information on their solar program or subscription details, visit firstenergycorp.com/WVsolar or call Mon Power at their provided contact numbers.