W.Va.'s Longview Power Declares Bankruptcy Citing Low Energy Prices, Coronavirus
A West Virginia-based coal plant operator has announced that its filing for bankruptcy due to weak demand for electricity. Longview Power LLC, which operates one of the newest and most efficient coal-fired power plants in the U.S. hailed by the Trump administration as a model for coals future, announced in a Tuesday press release that it would seek to restructure its debts and ownership structure under the Chapter 11 bankruptcy process.
The company cited low power demand, driven by a mild winter, cheap natural gas prices and the COVID-19 global pandemic.
This filing is unfortunate but necessary given the current depressed power prices, which have further dropped more recently due to the terrible COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the nation and dramatic effects of the pandemic on the economy, said Longview CEO Jeff Keffer.
Longview operates a 700-megawatt coal-fired power plant near Morgantown. The plant has been championed by federal officials, including former Energy Secretary Rick Perry, who visited the plant in 2017.
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