West Virginia Executive Spring/Summer 2020 | Page 54

Natural Resources,
Industrial Advantage
Gas-Fired Power Plants in West Virginia
KRISTEN UPPERCUE
Of the energy
used by the 65
million people in
West Virginia’s
13-state power
grid, 40 percent
comes from
natural gas.
Concerned by the amount of greenhouse gases produced by
coal-fired power plants, the power industry has been calling
for alternative sources of energy for decades. This transition
led industry leaders to focus on natural gas, a more sustainable
and cost-effective power source that releases less than half the
amount of carbon dioxide than coal, as part of its comprehensive
energy strategy.
West Virginia is part of a 13-state power grid that covers
much of the Appalachian region, including Kentucky, Maryland,
North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and
Washington, D.C. This grid, which is coordinated by regional
transmission organization PMJ, accounts for the energy used
by more than 65 million people, and 40 percent of that energy
comes from natural gas with roughly one third coming from a
mixture of coal and renewables, according to Curtis Wilkerson,
president and founder of Orion Strategies. The strategic communications
firm, which was founded in Charleston, WV,
provides its national, regional and local clients services in
public relations, government affairs, grassroots advocacy,
research, polling and creativity.
Despite surrounding states buying into the growing naturalgas
power plant industry, West Virginia didn’t enter the field
until this year when it released plans for the construction of
multiple natural gas-fired plants throughout the state, including
one in Harrison County and one in Brooke County.
Energy Solutions Consortium, LLC (ESC) has partnered
with Caithness Energy, LLC, both of which are represented by
Orion Strategies, to construct the natural gas power plants in
Harrison and Brooke counties. ESC is a New York-based independent
power company focused on developing combined cycle
power generating facilities featuring state-of-the-art technology
to reduce carbon footprint and provide natural gas-driven energy
solutions. Caithness Energy is a privately held independent
power producer based in New York with multiple natural gas
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WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE