AEP Mulling Whether To Proceed on Large Project in West Virginia

American Electric Power is considering whether to proceed with a commercial-scale carbon-capture project at its 1,300-MW Mountaineer plant in New Haven, W.Va., because of unclear federal guidance, a company spokeswoman said on Dec. 27. She said Charles Patton, president and CEO of AEP utility Appalachian Power, told West Virginia regulators earlier this month that it is re-evaluating the estimated $660-million project in light of no federal legislation regulating carbon-dioxide emissions. AEP, which has been operating a pilot 30-MW carbon-capture project at the Mountaineer plant since 2009, had planned to build a 235-MW facility that would begin operations in 2015. The U.S. Energy Dept. had awarded AEP $334 million for the larger project. The utility has not yet asked the West Virginia Public Service Commission to approve the project, the spokeswoman said.