Fossil Fuels & Generation
Molly Glick
Molly Glick
Energy Central Team
·Posted in Fossil Fuels & Generation
Tue, Aug 4

NEWS: AEP just outbid a major data center developer on a coal plant. 🪨

  • Going once, going twice: AEP edged out a “household name” data center developer to clinch the 710-MW Longview coal plant in West Virginia. The mysterious developer reportedly had considered funneling all that power to its AI facility—and away from roughly 355K homes. 

  • So, is coal back? If this deal is any indication, the power rush appears to be thrusting coal back into the spotlight. Longview filed for bankruptcy multiple times in recent years, and in 2021 AEP committed to downsizing its coal portfolio. But now, AEP hopes the Longview plant can help it meet rising demand in PJM (where the company has contracted 18 GW from data centers). 

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