Power Plant Services in West Virginia: Who Runs What

West Virginia produces far more electricity than its residents use, and the surplus flows onto the PJM grid that serves much of the mid-Atlantic and Midwest. Most of that power still comes from coal-fired stations along the Ohio, Kanawha and Monongahela rivers. This page covers the plants in our West Virginia listings, from large coal units such as John E. Amos in Winfield to the small hydro station at Millville near Charles Town. It also explains which office to contact for which question.

The term “power plant” covers several kinds of site, and that decides who answers your call. Utility stations sell power to the grid. Independent producers such as Longview Power in Maidsville sell at wholesale. Chemical plants, including the Axiall Natrium site in New Martinsville and the Union Carbide facility in South Charleston, make steam and electricity largely for their own operations. Hydro and wind sites are often controlled remotely, with only a few staff on the property.

Knowing the type saves time. A question about a monthly bill belongs with the retail utility. A question about smoke, ash or river discharge belongs with a state regulator. A question about a job or a contract belongs with the plant operator.

State and Federal Agencies That Oversee West Virginia Plants

Responsibility is split by subject. These are the bodies that matter most for plants in the Mountain State:

Bills and outages travel a different channel. Appalachian Power, Mon Power and Potomac Edison are the main investor-owned retail utilities, and each serves a different part of the state. Plant staff do not handle billing or outage reports. Call the utility number printed on your bill, and take unresolved complaints to the Public Service Commission.

West Virginia Regional Differences: Kanawha Valley, Ohio River, North-Central and the Highlands

The Kanawha Valley is the busiest area. Kanawha County has nine listings, more than any other county, and they mix utility and industrial sites. Examples are the Charleston Clean Energy Facility on South Park Road, the Belle plant on West Dupont Avenue, the Bayer CropScience Institute plant listed in Dunbar, and the Kanawha River site at Glasgow. Farther downriver, Putnam County is home to John E. Amos, one of the largest coal-fired stations in the state. Chemical manufacturing grew in this valley because the river supplied water and cheap power, and that overlap continues.

Along the Ohio River, plants use the water for cooling and barges for fuel. Pleasants County has five listings, including the Pleasants and Willow Island stations around St. Marys and Willow Island. Wetzel County has the Axiall Natrium plant, Marshall County lists the Mitchell plant near Moundsville, and Wood County lists the Belleville Dam hydro site. Several of these appear under older or combined names, so check the operator’s current name before you call.

In the north-central region, Longview Power on Fort Martin Road in Maidsville gives Monongalia County five listings. Harrison County lists the Harrison Power Station at Haywood and the ESC Harrison County Power site in Clarksburg. These plants sit close to the coalfields that supply them.

The eastern mountains look different. Grant County has Mount Storm Power Station on West Virginia 93 and the North Branch plant near Gormania. Wind turbines stand on ridgelines at Pinnacle Wind Force near Keyser and Laurel Mountain near Belington. In the far east, Millville Hydro Station in Jefferson County works with river flow rather than fuel. In the southwest, the Big Sandy Peaker Plant at Kenova in Wayne County is a gas-fired peaking station, which starts mainly when demand spikes.

Reaching a West Virginia Power Plant: What to Do and What to Bring

Most listings show an address but no public phone number. John E. Amos, at 304-237-7000, is an exception. For the rest, find the current owner on the operator’s website, then call the main office or community relations line. Ask for the plant manager’s office, not the control room, which has to stay clear for operations.

Do not expect to walk in. Power stations are secured industrial sites with controlled gates. Tours and meetings are arranged ahead of time. Approved visitors and contractors usually need government photo ID and must complete a safety briefing. Ask in advance what protective gear the site requires.

If you only want to see a facility, hydro and dam sites are easier. Hawks Nest Hydro, near Gauley Bridge in Fayette County, sits close to Hawks Nest State Park, where overlooks show the New River gorge. The Alloy Steam Station listing on U.S. 60 is in the same area, where the Hawks Nest tunnel was built in the early 1930s to carry New River water to a hydro station that supplied industry.

For jobs, apply through the operator’s online careers page. Plant gates do not take applications. If you live nearby and have concerns about noise, dust or discharges, contact the plant first and keep dates and notes. If that fails, escalate to the Department of Environmental Protection, which keeps public records on permits. Before digging near a plant, a transmission corridor or a pipeline, call 811.

Power plant facilities in West Virginia include a mix of federal, state, and municipally owned generation assets that contribute to the region's overall electricity supply. West Virginia's energy mix and the number of publicly owned facilities reflect the state's natural resources, regulatory environment, and historical development of its utility infrastructure.

Power Plant locations are available in 37 cities across West Virginia. They are spread across 23 counties.

Areas with the highest concentration of power plant locations include Maidsville, St. Marys, New Martinsville, often reflecting proximity to water resources, fuel supply infrastructure, or industrial demand centers.

Residents of West Virginia who are customers of a municipal or public power utility can contact their local power authority for billing assistance, energy efficiency programs, and information about planned outages or infrastructure upgrades in their service area.

Power Plant by Counties

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Residents of West Virginia who receive electricity service from a publicly owned utility can visit or contact that utility's customer service office to learn about outage reporting, billing options, and energy assistance programs. For information about a specific power generation facility in West Virginia, contacting the state's public utility commission is often the best starting point.

Browse Power Plant by county across West Virginia to find the nearest location.

What to Know Before You Contact a West Virginia Plant or Regulator

Most questions about a West Virginia plant fall into three groups: service, permits and access. Service issues such as outages go to the retail utility. Permit questions go to the Department of Environmental Protection, which posts proposed air and water permits and accepts written comments during the notice period. Access questions go to the plant owner. Sorting your question first usually gets a faster answer than calling the nearest facility.

Location also matters. In the Kanawha Valley and along the Ohio River you may be near several industrial sites, so confirm the exact name and address before filing a complaint. Many listings here use older names, such as Firstenergy Willow Island and Firstenergy Albright, and some sites have changed owners or stopped generating. Check a site’s current status with the operator, since a directory listing does not guarantee that the units are running.

New or expanded plants also go through local steps. Where a county has zoning, county commissions and planning offices handle land use, while the Public Service Commission reviews certain generating projects. Meetings are open to the public. Read the agenda in advance, bring written comments, and keep them focused on specific effects such as traffic, noise or water use, which regulators can act on.

Two state bodies share the work. The Public Service Commission of West Virginia regulates the rates and service of investor-owned electric utilities and reviews certain proposals to build new generating plants. The Department of Environmental Protection issues the air quality and water discharge permits that plants need to operate. Federal bodies add another layer: the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission licenses hydroelectric projects and oversees wholesale markets, and the Environmental Protection Agency sets national emissions and coal ash standards. Billing and service questions go to the commission, while smoke, runoff or ash concerns go to the department.

Call your retail utility, not the plant. Appalachian Power, Mon Power and Potomac Edison serve different parts of West Virginia, and the outage number is printed on your bill and on each company’s website. If you see a downed line, stay well back, assume it is live and call 911 if anyone is in danger. Power plants generate electricity, but local crews and dispatch centers restore service to homes. If an outage drags on unreasonably, or you dispute how the company handled your case, you can file a complaint with the Public Service Commission.

Not as a walk-in visitor. John E. Amos in Winfield and Mount Storm Power Station on West Virginia 93 are secured industrial sites, and the owners control access. Groups such as schools, civic clubs and professional associations sometimes arrange visits through a company’s community relations office, with advance notice and photo ID. The Amos listing shows 304-237-7000, which is a reasonable place to start. For a view without a tour, Hawks Nest State Park near Gauley Bridge has overlooks of the New River gorge, close to the Hawks Nest hydro facility.

Kanawha County leads with nine listings, followed by Monongalia and Pleasants counties with five each and Grant County with four. Fayette, Harrison, Wetzel and Putnam counties have three each. The pattern follows geography. The Kanawha Valley has chemical and utility plants, the Ohio River counties host large stations with cooling water and barge access, and Monongalia County has Longview Power on Fort Martin Road in Maidsville. Smaller counties may have only one listing, often a hydro dam or wind farm, so searching by city can be as useful as searching by county.

Coal still supplies most of the state’s electricity, but other types are listed here. Hydro sites include Hawks Nest Hydro near Gauley Bridge, Millville Hydro Station in Charles Town and the Belleville Dam on the Ohio River in Wood County. Wind is represented by Pinnacle Wind Force near Keyser and Laurel Mountain near Belington, both on high ridgelines. The Big Sandy Peaker Plant at Kenova is gas-fired and starts mainly when demand peaks. Chemical and industrial sites in the Kanawha Valley may also generate steam or power for their own use.

Start with the Department of Environmental Protection. When a plant applies for a new or modified air or water permit, the agency publishes a public notice describing the project and opens a comment period. You can submit written comments, and for some permits you can ask for a public hearing. Strong comments cite specific facts, such as the permit condition, the location and the effect you expect, rather than general opposition. For a proposed new generating plant, also watch Public Service Commission dockets and your county commission agenda. Sign up for notices early, because deadlines are firm.