On Wednesday, Appalachian Power made concurrent filings with the Virginia State Corporation Commission and the Public Service Commission of West Virginia requesting regulatory approvals to acquire the Hardin and Beech Ridge II wind facilities.

The  175 megawatt (MW) Hardin Wind Facility will be located in Hardin County, OH, and the 50 MW Beech Ridge II Wind Facility will be in Greenbrier County. Both wind projects are under development by Invenergy, LLC.

“We are continuing our transition to an energy company of the future and further diversifying our power generation portfolio. These acquisitions move us in that direction,” said Chris Beam, Appalachian Power president and chief operating officer. “Direct ownership and operation of these facilities will give our employees new experiences in the planning, production and delivery of power from diverse generating assets as Appalachian continues to add renewable resources in the years ahead.”

Appalachian currently has a total of 375 MW of wind generation and an additional 120 MW coming on line in 2018 (from the Bluff Point Wind Farm in Indiana). With approval of these two additional wind facilities, Appalachian will have more than 1,000 MW of wind and hydro generation, enough to power over 230,000 homes.

The declining cost of wind resources and the extension of the Federal Production Tax Credit make the purchase of these wind facilities beneficial for customers,  improve Appalachian’s fuel diversity, and increase the company’s flexibility to develop and offer renewable products for its customers.

Regulators will establish case schedules for the filings.