DODDRIDGE COUNTY, W.Va. — Competitive Power Ventures, an electric power generating company, has been approved for a site certification on a multi-billion dollar project planned for Doddridge County.

The project has been in development for several years. CPV chose Doddridge County as the location of $3 billion Carbon Capture Project back in December 2022. Featured will be the CPV Shay Energy Center that will consist of an 1,800 MW combined-cycle natural gas power station with the capability to utilize carbon capture technology. The CPV Shay Energy Center will help supply power to nearly 2 million homes and businesses in West Virginia.

Matthew Litchfield, vice president of External and Regulatory Affairs at Competitive Power Ventures, said being granted the siting certificate from the West Virginia Public Service Commission is a significant milestone in their progress on the project.

“We do still have quite a bit of work to do but this is something we’re celebrating,” Litchfield said. “We’re very thankful to West Virginia and the Public Service Commission for the process and for the approval.”

Litchfield said the project will be designed to include carbon capture technology. He says up to 90% of carbon emissions could be captured at their plant.

“It has been historically challenging to do, however, over the last several years, we’ve seen a lot of momentum building to make this even more economically viable,” said Litchfield.

He noted federal tax credits put in place by the Inflation Reduction Act and support from the state for the project.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently rolled out new rules for power plants to include carbon capture and reduce carbon emissions drastically over the next couple of years. Litchfield said they welcome the carbon capture element and believe that aspect will work for them in their plans.

“This is something we’re excited about pursuing in Doddridge County,” he said.

Construction on the project isn’t expected for a few more years. The project is expected to create up to 2,000 jobs during peak construction and is projected to go into operation later this decade.