Mon Power is building a 5.75 megawatt solar facility on 36 acres of former coal ash landfill in Berkeley County.

The company activated its Fort Martin solar facility in January, the state’s largest at 19 megawatts. It is also building one at Rivesville with 5.5 megawatts.

One megawatt is enough to power about 173 households.

“The redevelopment of this site into a clean, renewable energy source is aligned with our commitment to support economic growth in West Virginia as well as our efforts to build a more sustainable future for the communities we serve,” said Dan Rossero, vice president of West Virginia energy generation for Mon Power parent FirstEnergy.

Solar is the fastest growing source of electricity nationwide. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, U.S. solar capacity reached 209 gigawatts in the second quarter.

By comparison, U.S. coal capacity was at 177 gigawatts in April, a decline of nearly half from 2000, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

West Virginia still lags other states in renewable energy development.