SUPPORTING CLEAN ENERGY OPTIONS
FirstEnergy is taking many steps to prepare for a reduced carbon world, and each state where we operate presents a different path toward the clean energy future. Though regulatory decisions may limit our ability to develop renewable generation, we recognize that our customers expect more sustainable energy options and are exploring ways to meet that demand across our service territory.
Four of the five states in which FirstEnergy principally operates (Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland) are deregulated states. With a few exceptions, FirstEnergy’s utilities are prohibited from owning generation in these states. This includes renewable generation assets such as solar and wind as well as energy storage when storage is defined as a generation asset.
We want to empower our customers with solutions that meet their energy needs and reduce the region’s carbon footprint. Working within the bounds of state laws and regulations, we are continually looking for and acting on opportunities to build the clean energy future we all envision.
Solar Generation
Advancing FirstEnergy’s goal to own at least 50 MW of solar generation in West Virginia by 2025 is a key step toward executing our Climate Strategy and building a sustainable energy future.
FirstEnergy’s West Virginia utilities, Mon Power and Potomac Edison, have conditional approval from the Public Service Commission of West Virginia for five utility-scale solar facilities, which will together total 50 MW of renewable solar generation. The companies are accepting customer commitments to purchase solar renewable energy credits from the five facilities to be developed in our West Virginia service territory, and we expect to have the first site in service bin 2023.
The solar program we’re developing aligns with a 2020 bill passed by the West Virginia Legislature that authorizes electric utilities to own and operate up to 200 megawatts of solar renewable generation facilities to help meet the state’s electricity needs. The addition of new renewable generation also encourages economic development in West Virginia, as a growing number of companies require that a portion of the electricity they purchase be generated by renewable sources.
Additionally, FirstEnergy’s Pennsylvania utilities have received approval to purchase electric generation supply in 2023. The program includes a process for procuring power for Default Service customers, meeting state-mandated alternative energy standards, and includes a separate bidding process to procure a new long-term solar energy project with a total capacity of at least 7 MW and up to 20 MW.
SUPPORTING THE GLOBAL ENERGY TRANSITION
Jersey Central Power & Light Connects Solar Project in Mount Olive to Electric Grid: Largest landfill solar project in North America now delivering clean energy.
JCP&L has completed a grid connection for a 19.8-megawatt solar project located at a former landfill property in Mount Olive, New Jersey, that is now delivering clean energy through FirstEnergy's transmission lines.
Offshore Wind
In October 2022, the New Jersey Board of Public Uiltites selected JCP&L, in a joint proposal with Mid-Atlantic Offshore Development, LLC, to build new and upgrade existing transmission infrastructure to connect clean energy generated by New Jersey’s offshore wind farms to the power grid. The nearly $723 million investment minimizes environmental and community impacts by using existing rights of way and avoiding greenfield development. Construction is expected to begin 2025, with completion targeted by 2030, supporting New Jersey’s goal of introducing 7,500 MW of offshore wind-generated electricity by 2035.
Battery Energy Storage
In Maryland, Potomac Edison is implementing two battery energy storage projects in response to the state's Energy Storage Pilot Program, which was established in 2019 to examine new technologies that could have a transformative impact on electric distribution systems. The program required all investor-owned electric utilities to submit at least two energy storage proposals to the Maryland Public Service Commission for consideration.
- In December 2022, we became the first utility to complete a project under Maryland’s program, pairing battery energy storage with two new electric vehicle (EV) fast-charging stations and one Level 2 charging station in Frederick County. Because fast-charging stations create significant demand on electric grids, the bundling of the storage system with fast chargers will allow Potomac Edison to study how energy storage can help minimize the impact of such demand spikes on its network.
- The second project, a 1.75-megawatt battery energy storage project planned for Allegany County, will provide back-up power to more than 1,000 customers during outages, enhancing service reliability in an area west of the town of Hancock. That project is expected to be in service in early 2024.