Mon Power and Potomac Edison, both subsidiaries of FirstEnergy Corp., have reached a new milestone in their renewable energy initiative with the completion of their third utility-scale solar facility in West Virginia. The new solar site, located in Marlowe, Berkeley County, features more than 17,000 solar panels and is capable of generating up to 5.75 megawatts of clean electricity. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, one megawatt of solar energy can power an average of 173 homes, meaning the Marlowe facility has the potential to provide renewable power to nearly 1,000 households.

This 36-acre facility is situated on company-owned land along Interstate 81 and the Potomac River. The site was previously used as an ash landfill for the former R. Paul Smith Power Station. In 2022, FirstEnergy completed an environmental remediation project by reclaiming over three million tons of ash from the site for use in cement manufacturing. Once the landfill was closed, the land was repurposed to support renewable energy production, demonstrating the company’s commitment to environmental sustainability and smart land reuse.

The construction of the Marlowe solar project engaged 54 local union workers, providing a boost to the local economy. Additionally, the project incorporated solar panels, racking system steel, and electrical components that were manufactured in the United States, underscoring a focus on supporting domestic industries and strengthening the local supply chain.

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. We are committed to ensuring that our customers have the right mix and amount of generation to support their everyday needs, and our solar facilities are a growing part of that.”

The development of this site is part of Mon Power and Potomac Edison’s broader West Virginia solar program, which was authorized by a 2020 state law permitting electric utilities to own and operate up to 200 megawatts of solar generation capacity. The program aims to support the state’s energy needs while attracting economic development by making renewable energy options available to companies that require clean electricity as part of their operations.

To date, Mon Power and Potomac Edison have completed three solar facilities totaling 30 megawatts of generating capacity. Their first site, located at the Fort Martin Power Station, was completed in early 2024 with a capacity of 18.9 megawatts. The second, a 5.5-megawatt site in Rivesville, came online in the fall of 2023. With the addition of the Marlowe site, the companies are well on their way to reaching their goal of 50 megawatts across five projects.

These solar sites will collectively generate more than 87,000 solar renewable energy credits (SRECs) annually. SRECs are tradable certificates that represent the environmental benefits of generating electricity from solar energy. For every megawatt hour of solar electricity generated, one SREC is issued. Customers, both residential and commercial, can purchase these credits at a cost of four cents per kilowatt hour above the standard electricity rate, allowing them to support renewable energy development in West Virginia.

The solar program has already attracted a range of participants, including the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) in Morgantown and the town of Harpers Ferry, as well as a growing number of individual customers. By repurposing former industrial land, creating local jobs, and offering accessible clean energy options, Mon Power and Potomac Edison are contributing meaningfully to the state’s transition toward a more sustainable energy future.