The town of Harpers Ferry, WV signed an agreement with FirstEnergy Corp. subsidiaries Mon Power and Potomac Edison to purchase solar energy from their proposed solar facility to power 100 percent of the town’s streetlight and town hall energy requirements. The commitment helps advance the utility companies’ plan to construct five utility-scale solar sites in West Virginia. The utility companies will seek WV Public Service Commission’s approval once they have secured subscription commitments from municipal, residential and/or industrial customers equaling at least 85 percent of the energy to be produced by the new solar sites.

Harpers Ferry Mayor Gregory Vaughan said “Support of this solar initiative is good governance, and municipal, county, and state government should lead by example…We must look beyond the present and how we have always functioned to strategically think and plan for how we meet, manage and fulfill future energy requirements. Harpers Ferry’s decision to support the solar initiative was unanimous, receiving my overwhelming support as well as that from all members of the town council.”

Jim Myers, president of FirstEnergy’s West Virginia Operations, said “We believe the commitment from Harpers Ferry and residential customers shows growing interest in the development of renewable energy in West Virginia.”  The construction of the solar sites follows the West Virginia Legislature’s passage of Senate Bill 583 2020 which allows utility companies to operate up to 200 megawatts of solar energy.

References:

FirstEnergy Corp. (Jan. 17, 2023). Mon Power and Potomac Edison Move Closer to Construction of Solar Power Plants with Clean Energy Commitment from Harpers Ferry. FirstEnergy Corp. website. https://www.firstenergycorp.com/newsroom/news_articles/mon-power-and-potomac-edison-move-closer-to-construction-of-sola.html#:~:text=Mon%20Power%20will%20build%2C%20own,Power%20substation%20in%20Hancock%20County  Accessed 2-7-25

Snyder, Shepherd (Jan. 18, 2023). Harpers Ferry Enters Agreement with FirstEnergy to Support Statewide Solar Farm Construction. WV Public Broadcasting website. https://wvpublic.org/harpers-ferry-enters-agreement-with-firstenergy-to-support-statewide-solar-farm-construction/  Accessed 2-7-25

Fine, Ariana (Jan. 19 2023). Mon Power, Potomac Edison Sign Solar PPA with Harpers Ferry. Solar Industry website. https://solarindustrymag.com/mon-power-potomac-edison-sign-solar-ppa-with-harpers-ferry  Accessed 2-7-25