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Owner seeks PJM approval to shut 93-MW coal plant in March 2019

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Owner seeks PJM approval to shut 93-MW coal plant in March 2019

The owner of the 92.6-MW James River Genco plant in Virginia filed a request with grid operator PJM Interconnection to shutter the plant at end of March 2019.

The plant, located in Hopewell, Va., notified PJM on March 14 of its interest to shut the plant, which burns bituminous coal. In 2016, the plant bought Central Appalachian coal from mines in Kentucky and Virginia. A PJM reliability study has not found any impacts to the grid from the retirement. In early 2017, City Point Energy Center LLC, a subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., acquired the plant, which is located in Virginia Electric and Power Co.'s service territory. Virginia Electric Power is a subsidiary of Dominion Energy Inc.

When purchased, the plant sold its power to the PJM market and its steam was sold to Honeywell for a manufacturing plant that is part of its chemical business Advansix Resins & Chemicals LLC. The plant, completed in 1988, generated 38,320 MWh in 2016, roughly a third of its output in 2011, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. A 54-MW cogenerationt plant is in development by City Point Energy Center on the same site.

The deactivation request follows several submitted by Dominion in January. On Jan. 16, the utility requested to shut about 1,210 MW of coal and gas units this year. The capacity includes three combined-cycle units, totaling 267 MW, at the Bellemeade Power Station, which burn natural gas and started operating in February 1997. It also includes two 69-MW coal units that started operating in 1992 at the Mecklenburg Cogeneration Facility, as well as the 235-MW Bremo Bluff plant, which began operating in the 1950s and burns a mix of natural gas and fuel oil. Dominion requested to close these three plants in April.

By Dec. 1, Dominion also requested to close units 3 and 4 at Chesterfield, a steam plant burning mainly bituminous coal, and units 3 and 4 at Possum Point, which burn primarily natural gas. In January, Dominion cited low natural gas prices coupled with reduced customer demand for energy and the increasing affordability of renewables as part of its decision to put the plants on dormant status.