Project Selections for Broad Agency Announcement DE-FOA-0003605, Restoring Reliability: Coal Recommissioning and Modernization (Topic 2)
Amos and Mountaineer Coal Plant Modernization and Resiliency Program — Appalachian Power Company (New Haven, West Virginia and Winfield, West Virginia)
This project will upgrade coal plants at the Mountaineer Power Plant in New Haven, West Virginia and at the John E. Amos Power Plant in Winfield, West Virginia. Both plants are owned and operated by Appalachian Power Company (APCO), a subsidiary of American Electric Power (AEP), and have strong track records of executing capital projects safely and efficiently.
The project will support six upgrades—three at the AEP Mountaineer Power Plant and three at the John E. Amos Power Plant—that are critical to improve performance, increase efficiency, and ensure the plants can maintain compliance with federal and state air quality standards.
At the Mountaineer plant, the electrostatic precipitator system will undergo a full modernization in 2027, replacing aging transformer/rectifier sets with advanced non high frequency units. This work will significantly improve particulate matter capture, reduce emissions, and enhance the reliability of the 1,480 megawatt (MW) Unit 1 boiler. Mountaineer will also restore its pendant reheater to its original design configuration to achieve the intended reheat outlet temperature, a change that will increase turbine efficiency and reduce environmental impacts through better fuel utilization. In addition, the existing hot roofs at Mountaineer will be replaced with modern, high-performance assemblies that strengthen insulation, improve structural integrity, and provide better sealing.
At the Amos plant, the project will replace deteriorated internal components within the circulating water system—specifically the cooling tower fill and condenser tubes—to restore optimal performance. The plant will also construct a new on-site coal combustion residual beneficial reuse loadout facility to support the handling and loading of synthetic gypsum and fly ash for transportation, expanding opportunities for beneficial reuse. Finally, Amos will undertake its own hot roof replacements, installing high performance assemblies that enhance insulation, strengthen structural durability, and improve sealing. Scheduled for completion in 2027, this upgrade will reduce maintenance demands, extend the life of the electrostatic precipitators, and improve the plant’s environmental performance.
DOE Funding: $34,592,797
Non-DOE Funding: $53,107,203 (61%)
Total Value: $87,700,000
Modernization of Cardinal Units 1 & 2: Enhancing Efficiency and Rural Energy Reliability — Buckeye Power Inc. (Brilliant, Ohio)
The Cardinal Plant Modernization Project is a multi-year routine maintenance initiative focusing on their Cardinal Units 1 and 2 in Brilliant, Ohio. The project aims to enhance the long-term reliability and affordability of coal-fired generation in rural Ohio, while also ensuring environmental compliance. This will directly benefit over one million people across 77 rural counties served by Buckeye Power's 25 member cooperatives. The project includes a comprehensive suite of refurbishments, each selected for its impact on grid reliability, and is structured to deliver rapid, high-value improvements. All improvements are grounded in technical and economic analysis, with many demonstrating paybacks in under two years and strong positive net present values.
The entire project is slated for a four-year period of performance, from 2027 to 2030, with all major upgrades and studies scheduled for completion or substantial progress within this timeframe. Unit 1 (590 MW) will receive turbine rotor replacements delivering a more reliable turbine, generator refurbishments, boiler component replacements, selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst replacements, and flue gas desulfurization (FGD) equipment refurbishments. Unit 2 (590 MW) will undergo turbine rotor replacements; boiler refurbishments, SCR catalyst replacements, and FGD refurbishments.
The anticipated benefits of this modernization effort are multi-faceted. Economically, it will stabilize or lower energy rates for rural customers, improve affordability by reducing maintenance costs, and ensure long-term operational viability through proactive investment. Socially, the project is expected to preserve and grow high-wage rural jobs, supporting the economic fabric of rural Ohio, and advance rural resilience by ensuring continuous, secure power for remote communities. The maintenance improvements, as supported by these federal funds, will help Buckeye Power continue to meet its mission to provide safe, reliable, affordable, and environmentally responsible wholesale electric power to its member cooperatives in Ohio.
DOE Funding: $34,000,000
Non-DOE Funding: $63,821,001 (65%)
Total Value: $97,821,001
Belews Creek Coal Reliability Assurance Initiative — Duke Energy Carolinas LLC (Sauratown Township, North Carolina)
The Coal Reliability Assurance (CRA) initiative consists of a suite of eighteen individual projects to reduce operation risk and improve the reliability of Duke Energy Carolina’s Belews Creek coal-fired units in the rural and remote area of Stokes County, North Carolina. Units 1 and 2 are 1,100 MW supercritical coal-fired units and are located at Belews Creek Steam Station, which consistently ranks as one of the most efficient coal facilities in the nation. This important power station provides significant economic benefits to customers in the surrounding area.
The Belews Creek CRA initiative will replace components related to the boiler (tubes, burners, nozzles, and valves), turbine/generator (exciter, valves, and turbine components), and balance of plant (fans, control systems, liners, hoppers, ducts, and other components) to improve the reliability of the station.
By replacing end of life boiler, turbine, fan, and balance of plant components, the initiative will enhance station reliability, reduce forced outages, and support continued dependable service from this critical asset for several years to come. Improving the reliability of these important assets will help maintain affordable energy for customers while also strengthening system reliability and cost stability across the broader Duke Energy Carolinas service territory.
DOE Funding: $34,000,000
Non-DOE Funding: $65,827,232 (66%)
Total Value: $99,827,232
Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) at Ghent Coal-Fired Generating Station — Kentucky Utilities Corporation (Ghent, Kentucky)
Kentucky Utilities Company (KU) will install SCR system to its coal-fired Unit 2 at Ghent Generating Station near Ghent, Kentucky. The project, which was approved in 2025 by the Kentucky Public Service Commission, is expected to be placed in service in 2028. The SCR system will be capable of reducing at least 90% nitrogen oxides (NOx) with a 2-parts per million of ammonia slip to maintain compliance with evolving ozone standards, preserving the unit’s full summer capacity rating. The project team has successfully led capital improvement projects over the past 20 years, including the deployment of six SCR systems across four coal-fired power plants owned by KU and sister utility Louisville Gas and Electric Company.
Absent additional NOₓ controls, Ghent Unit 2 would be at risk of future operational restrictions that could materially limit its availability during periods of increasing system demand. As a major dispatchable baseload resource in the utilities’ generation fleet, any reduction to the unit’s available capacity could negatively affect system reliability and ultimately lead to increased overall costs for customers.
DOE Funding: $35,000,000
Non-DOE Funding: $152,300,000 (81%)
Total Value: $187,300,000
Fort Martin Coal Handling Optimization — Monongahela Power Company (Maidsville, West Virginia)
Monongahela Power Company (Mon Power), a wholly owned subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp., is an electric utility company headquartered in Fairmont, West Virginia, that serves approximately 395,000 customers in 34 counties in the state. It also owns and operates Fort Martin Power Station, a regulated, coal-fired power plant located in Maidsville, West Virginia. Fort Martin Power Station is a two-unit plant with a combined output of 1,098 MW.
The Fort Martin Coal Handling Optimization project will replace a rotary-type coal crusher that was installed when the station was constructed in 1967 with a modern “cone-type” crusher and install an additional crusher as a redundant spare. Crushers resize coal into smaller, uniformly sized chunks that allow for easier coal handling, feeding, and transportation. Uniform particle sizes also allow more effective energy production, as they ensure stable combustion. These improvements will help ensure reliable, cost-effective electricity production for Mon Power customers. Project construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2028.
DOE Funding: $4,273,703
Non-DOE Funding: $4,273,704 (50%)
Total Value: $8,547,407
Kyger Creek Station Modernization and Resiliency Project — Ohio Valley Electric Corporation (Cheshire, Ohio)
Ohio Valley Electric Corporation (OVEC) is undertaking a series of critical infrastructure improvements at its Kyger Creek Station in Cheshire, Ohio, designed to strengthen grid reliability, improve operational resilience, and help ensure the region’s energy needs continue to be met dependably.
Kyger Creek Station is comprised of five coal-fired generating units with a total gross capacity of 1,085 MW. Today, Kyger Creek operates as a full member of the PJM Interconnection, providing wholesale base-load power to the regional grid.
The planned improvements span several key areas of the facility, including electrical infrastructure (replacement of critical transformers to restore the original design redundancy, reducing unexpected outage risk and improving operational reliability); emissions control systems (replacement of key components in the facility’s electrostatic precipitators and flue gas desulfurization systems to improve reliability of critical air quality control equipment); control system modernization (upgrade of the station's digital control systems to the latest available technology, strengthening the nation's energy infrastructure cybersecurity); and mechanical equipment (replacement of aging mechanical components and targeted repairs to reduce maintenance burdens, improve operational efficiency, and lower the risk of unexpected equipment failures).
As electricity demand continues to grow across the country, dependable base-load generation has never been more important to maintaining grid stability. The improvements at the Kyger Creek Station will help ensure the facility can continue to contribute to grid stability and energy security for the Ohio Valley and the broader region.
DOE Funding: $33,133,500
Non-DOE Funding: $40,496,500 (55%)
Total Value: $73,630,000