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October 9, 2026 - For generations, coal-fired power plants in West Virginia have been more than just industrial facilities in Appalachia. These plants have been a source of electricity, jobs, and in many communities, a symbol of economic survival. Now, as utilities weigh the future of coal plants and consider new natural-gas generation, the United Mine Workers of America is once again fighting to keep coal at the center of Appalachia’s energy economy.
“A coal plant doesn’t have to close to destroy jobs, it just has to run less,” said President Sanson. The union is currently fighting a battle of survival against utilities who wish to replace their current coal-fired generation in West Virginia with gas plants. In February, First Energy subsidiaries Mon Power and Potomac Edison filed a petition with the West Virginia Public Service Commission (WVPSC) to construct a 1,200-megawatt, $2.48 billion combined-cycle natural gas powerplant on the site of the current Ft. Martin Coal Plant in Monongalia County, West Virginia.
The stated reason for the necessity of the plant is to meet an anticipated generation deficit brought about by the construction of data centers. The burden of paying to power new data centers would fall squarely on the shoulders of West Virginia ratepayers, not the data centers themselves.
Union Intervenes at the WVPSC
 “The UMWA filed for, and was granted, intervenor status in the case. We submitted comments to the WVPSC and encouraged UMWA members to participate in the public hearing held on July 15th in Charleston, West Virginia,” said Sanson.
“Many of them testified as to the unavoidable destruction to their communities if the petition is approved, including UMWA Health & Retirement Funds Trustees Mike Buckner and President Emeritus Roberts. I testified as a witness at the evidentiary hearing on July 16, 2026,” Sanson continued.
The petition to construct the gas plant has received almost universal opposition, with the obvious exception of the petitioners, and the Building Trades. The Building Trades would benefit from the temporary construction jobs the project would provide.
During examination, representatives of the utilities claimed that they have no intention of expediting the closure of the current Ft. Martin Coal Plant. However, based on market conditions and the generation/purchase practices of PJM Interconnection (the regional transmission organization who controls where the power comes from and where it goes), the reality is that generation from the proposed gas plant will be prioritized over that of the existing coal plant. In addition, the location does not have the infrastructure to transmit additional power generation. Simply put, two plants can’t push that much power through the existing power lines.
Economic Ripples & Coal’s Broader Anchor
 Coal’s decline in the last two decades has already transformed much of Appalachia. West Virginia remains one of the country’s major coal-producing states, and the economic importance of the industry extends far beyond the people who work at the mines.
Coal supports transportation companies, equipment suppliers, contractors, mechanics and other businesses. Coal severance taxes have historically helped support government services in producing communities. Power plants provide another layer of employment and economic activity.
Gas plants operate on a skeleton crew. A new combined-cycle natural gas plant may generate temporary construction jobs, but the number, and economic impact, of long-term jobs will be much smaller than those that coal operations generate.
“Policy makers should look beyond the number of temporary construction jobs created by a new energy project and weigh that against the jobs that project will eliminate,” Sanson said. “The average gas plant employs 25 to 30 workers, while a coal-fired power plant provides hundreds of jobs to plant workers and thousands more in coal mining and other related jobs. If gas plants are not meant to replace coal, then why aren’t those protections written into law?”
Fuel Switching and the Future of Coal: Experts are on our Side
The construction of new natural-gas facilities near coal plants is not simply an addition to the energy system; it is a designed plan to eliminate the coal plant. Once natural-gas capacity comes online, coal plants will inevitably run for fewer hours. If electricity demand for coal falls far enough, mines that supply those plants will close.
“The idea that a coal plant must shut its doors completely before the workers feel the effects is not an accurate statement,” said Sanson. “You cannot claim to support coal while building competing power plants right next door. The union has been pressing state and federal officials to create policies that will preserve a domestic market for coal and to protect the communities that are dependent on that market.”
In Appalachia, the closure of a coal-generated plant will mean layoffs for our members who have spent decades at the same operations, and it will mean fewer customers for local businesses and less money circulating through those communities.
“In the end, if approved, the eventual effects of this petition are as obvious as they will be tragic. The disappearance of coal jobs will spread far beyond mining,” Sanson said.
— Brian Sanson, UMWA International President
Data Centers, Artificial Intelligence, and Energy Demand
  “Make no mistake, if this gas plant is approved, it will be the first of many, and the consequences will be disastrous to the jobs of our members and to local communities. We hope that the WVPSC rules in favor of the residents of West Virginia and not the out-of-state utilities looking to grow richer on the suffering of our members, their families, their neighbors and their communities,” Sanson said.
The union’s stance is that coal jobs are not merely individual jobs; they are economic anchors.
And when those anchors disappear, replacing them is far more difficult than proponents of a new energy project are willing to acknowledge. “Make no mistake, this is not about which energy source is better for people in Appalachia,” said Sanson.
“The fuel switching that we are seeing is a direct result of Big Tech and the data centers that are driving very dangerous Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies.”
Over the past month, we have seen CEOs like Bill Gates (Microsoft), Dario Amodei (Anthropic), and Elon Musk come out with very dire warnings about the risks AI poses to the human race. Unfortunately, some companies and politicians are pushing forward with data center construction projects at record pace.
“If the AI industry doesn’t find a way to get a handle on this, and if governments across the globe don’t come together and regulate this technology, then I am very concerned for the future of, not just our union, but for all of humanity,” Sanson said.
 “This is a real concern and a real danger, and the experts agree with us. The union will continue to fight for the jobs, economic growth and survival of our members in Appalachia.”
— United Mine Workers of America |
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