State regulators have approved Appalachian Power’s plan to move tons of coal ash created by its now-retired Glen Lyn power plant to a future landfill on the property.
Coal ash, also known as coal combustion residuals, is a byproduct of burning coal and a potentially harmful industrial waste. Appalachian Power has nearly 6.8 million cubic yards of it in an existing landfill and several ponds on the plant property.
The 335-megawatt power plant, in Giles County near the border between Virginia and West Virginia, stopped producing electricity in 2015 after federal regulators enacted stricter emissions standards. A 2020 Virginia law required the company to either recycle the coal ash or put it in a newer, more modern landfill.
Appalachian Power has said that moving the material to a new landfill on the West Virginia side of the 685-acre property would be a “more cost-effective and community-sensitive approach” than hauling it elsewhere or recycling it.
The Virginia State Corporation Commission issued its final order approving the cleanup plan on Wednesday. Except for a report by SCC staff that declared Appalachian Power’s plan to be reasonable, no other public comments were submitted in the regulatory case.
In its order, the SCC instructed Appalachian Power to keep the public informed about the plan. The utility also must provide either a connection to a municipal water supply or water testing to homes within a half-mile of the existing coal ash landfill and ponds.
Appalachian Power said Thursday in a statement to Cardinal News that it “will comply with all permitting requirements and work to keep the local community informed and involved as this process moves forward, including sharing updates on project milestones, required permitting and opportunities for feedback.”
“Transparency will remain central to our approach, and we will continue communicating with residents, local officials and other stakeholders as closure activities proceed,” the company said.
Customers could pay cleanup costs for years
The coal ash cleanup at the old Glen Lyn plant is estimated to cost the average residential Virginia customer between $1.06 and $2.28 per month over 11 years, assuming regulatory approval.
Appalachian Power has not yet asked the SCC for permission to charge its approximately 540,000 Virginia customers for the cleanup but has said it intends to next year.
The utility also plans to file for cost recovery with West Virginia regulators. Appalachian Power has said that if West Virginia approves its part and the $340 million cost is spread over 11 years from 2027 through 2037, the average Virginia residential customer’s monthly bill would increase $1.06 during that period.
If West Virginia denies cost recovery, the average Virginia residential customer would instead see a monthly bill increase of $2.28.
The utility defines an average residential customer as one who uses 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per month. That customer’s monthly bill stands at $168 today.
Construction on the landfill, called Stony Ridge, is expected to begin this year, and the utility is anticipated to begin moving coal ash late next year. State law requires the work to be complete within 15 years of the start of excavation.
Before its 2015 closure, the power plant operated for about 100 years and served as an economic anchor of the small town of Glen Lyn on the New River.
With that anchor gone and fewer than 100 residents remaining as of 2024, the town voted to dissolve its charter.
