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FirstEnergy briefs committee on transmission constraints, proposed export line from John Amos
Summary
FirstEnergy's Mon Power and Potomac Edison told lawmakers that local transmission constraints, supply shortages and interconnection queue dynamics are driving planning for upgrades; the company highlighted a PJM-proposed 765 kV export line originating near John Amos that would export power toward the East Coast and said BEAD and data centers factor into local planning.
Gary Jack, senior corporate counsel for Mon Power and Potomac Edison (FirstEnergy), told the joint committee that the company serves about 555,000 West Virginia customers in 40 counties and that transmission above 138 kV is operated under PJM’s control. He said transmission exists to move generation to load and that as demand grows the utility is seeing increasing need for substation and line upgrades.
Jack described two planning paths for transmission: the regional transmission expansion plan PJM manages (RTEP) and utility-initiated supplemental projects that local owners submit to PJM. He said FirstEnergy participates in both processes and that supplemental projects can include substations or discrete line segments developed by a transmission owner.
On a specific transmission proposal, Jack described a PJM‑initiated high-voltage line proposed to originate near the John Amos generating complex and route north toward Harrison County and on toward the D.C./Virginia area. The project, he said, would be a 765 kV export corridor intended to carry power from generation‑rich parts of the Ohio River valley toward generation‑poor load centers on the East Coast. He emphasized the project is a PJM proposal and that detailed alignment, cost allocation and siting remain subject to future studies and approvals.
Jack also addressed the interconnection queue and reliability concerns, saying most of the current queue is renewable and intermittent and that the region needs more resources that can provide capacity and essential reliability services. On the site-specific Omnis/Pleasants conversion project, he said the developer seeks DOE funding to pursue hydrogen-based conversion but faces technical, safety and financial challenges.
Why it matters: FirstEnergy’s presentation confirmed that West Virginia’s transmission network is part of larger multi-state planning efforts, and that high-voltage proposals could require new towers, parallel lines or other right-of-way work depending on engineering. Jack said FirstEnergy has not submitted comments on the DOE corridors and reiterated that cost-allocation determinations (which FERC oversees) determine which customers ultimately pay for projects. The company said potential rate impacts depend on federal cost-allocation rulings and project benefit assignments.
