"Utility To Close Its Last Pa. Coal Plant 2 Years Early"

"The last coal-fired unit at a major power plant run by FirstEnergy Solutions Corp. in Pennsylvania will close its doors this November, retiring 19 months ahead of schedule, the utility announced Friday.

FES said 'a lack of economic viability' prompted its decision to accelerate plans to shutter Unit 3 of the Bruce Mansfield coal-fired power plant about 25 miles northwest of Pittsburgh. The bankrupt power division of FirstEnergy Corp. had previously expected to keep the 830-megawatt facility online until June 1, 2021.

Coal and nuclear power plants — the core of FES's generation mix — have faced market pressure from their natural gas-fired competitors amid a glut of gas supplies in the United States. According to data from the Carbon Tracker Initiative, Mansfield's Unit 3 has been operating at a net loss of roughly $2 per megawatt-hour for the electricity it produces."

Blake Sobczak reports for EnergyWire August 12, 2019.

Source: EnergyWire, 08/13/2019