Photo by Scott McCloskey The West Virginia Public Service Commission announced Tuesday the continuing operation of Mitchell Plant in Marshall County, along with the Mountaineer and Amos plants elsewhere in West Virginia, through 2040.

The Mitchell Plant in Marshall County will be one of the beneficiaries of the $700 million in federal investments in coal-fired power generation announced Thursday in Washington D.C.

Appalachian Power Company was chosen to receive funding through the U.S. Department of Energy’s grant program, which will help suppport installation of a new mechanical draft cooling tower and replace the nearly 60-year-old natural draft cooling dower currently in operation. Appalachian Power announced the funding Friday morning.

The Mitchell Plant, a 1,560-megawatt facility in Moundsville, is co-owned by Appalachian Power and Kentucky Power, both subsidiaries of American Electric Power. The companies applied for $51 million through the Department of Energy for the project.

“Our customers count on us every day to deliver power they can depend on at a price they can afford, and that responsibility is at the center of every investment we make,” said Brian Abraham, Appalachian Power president and COO. “This grant will help us modernize the Mitchell Plant, strengthen reliability, reduce risks tied to aging equipment and continue providing the dependable, affordable service our customers deserve.”

These upgrades will improve plant performance and support continued delivery of power to customers across the region.

According to the announcement, the project means customers will have continued access to dependable power supported by existing infrastructure that serves both customers and the broader region.

“Investing in proven assets like the Mitchell Plant helps support grid reliability, strengthen energy security and reduce the need for more costly alternatives, helping keep customer affordability front and center,” the announcement read.

Both West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey and U.S. Rep. Riley Moore, R-W.Va., attended a ceremony with President Donald Trump on Thursday at the White House, where Trump announced $700 in investments across the country. Of that money, about $425 million would go to 13 coal-fired plants across 10 states, including West Virginia.

Trump said Thursday he was using the Defense Production Act — created during the early days of the Cold War, which gives the president emergency authority to use federal resources to help vital industries. The $700 million is money repurposed from environmental funds. West Virginia, along with Alaska, will also see the construction of new coal-fired power plants. The location of those future plants were not announced.