CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WV News) — Work is set to begin soon to prepare a site for a proposed gas-fired power plant in Harrison County.
This week, Harrison County commissioners gave Equitrans Midstream permission to survey county-owned land in order to provide an estimated cost for constructing a gas line to a 550-megawatt power plant proposed by General Electric subsidiary Wolf Summit Energy LLC.
The plant would be constructed on Pinnickinnick Hill in Montpelier Addition near Clarksburg.
Wolf Summit Energy has revived the project after it was shelved by Energy Solutions Consortium following downturns in the energy sector during the pandemic.
The project was initially started by Energy Solutions Consortium in 2015. GE had been a primary investor in the project prior to the expiration of permits and agreements for the plant.
After Energy Solutions Consortium shelved the project in 2021, county officials were left holding the bag on a number of investments they’d made to fund the plant, including land purchases and access road construction.
Other than legal expenses, no such investments by the county have been made since Wolf Summit Energy took over the project last year, said Harrison County Commissioner David Hinkle.
“As long as Wolf Summit keeps paying for things and doesn’t ask us to go out and invest money, then I don’t have any concerns,” he said. “But if we have to go out and invest taxpayer money again, then, yes, I would have a concern and I’d try to figure out a way to make sure this time the county (could recoup its investment.)
“We went through a lot of work to get industrial road access. We purchased property that we didn’t need to own and had a lot of expenses on our part so that plot of land would work.”
County officials have not confirmed with Wolf Summit Energy whether, under a purchase agreement, the land surrounding the site of the proposed plant, which the county bought in order to build access roads, would also be purchased by the developer.
Although the project is progressing, Hinkle is doubtful construction will begin this year.
“I’d say it was far out; I don’t see it this year. I’m not saying it couldn’t happen, (but( big companies don’t always move fast,” he said.
The presence of other utility rights of way on the property complicates the project because it is important to ensure the land is not carved into an unusable state, Hinkle said.
“It’s our responsibility to make sure where they want to go doesn’t affect future use of the property,” he said.
The commissioners haven’t held a public meeting with Wolf Summit Energy since reopening their option to purchase and reinstituting the pilot program to defer the plant’s property taxes for 20 years should the company make the purchase, Hinkle said.
However, a quarterly report from Wolf Summit Energy should be presented to commissioners by the end of the month, he said.
“I’m excited that they’re doing this. Maybe we can get this to finally happen and benefit North Central (West Virginia),” Hinkle said.