GenOn Holdings, Inc. Announces Retirement of Morgantown Coal Units

December 18, 2020

Houston, Texas.  GenOn Holdings, Inc. will retire its coal-fired units at the Morgantown power plant in 2027 and has reached an agreement with Maryland Senator Christopher R. West and Delegate Benjamin Brooks to support legislation that would accelerate Maryland’s transition from coal-fired electric generating resources. 

The legislation, which Senator West and Delegate Brooks plan to sponsor in the January 2021 Maryland general legislative session, will require all of Maryland’s coal-fired generating units to cease operations on dates certain by way of compliance with a limit on the production of Carbon Dioxide (CO2).   GenOn’s Chalk Point (667 MWs) coal-fired units are set to cease operations on June 1, 2021, the same date that GenOn recently announced for retirement of the Chalk Point coal-fired units.  The Morgantown (1,229 MWs) coal-fired units are slated to retire by October 1, 2027.  The bill also requires retirement of the Brandon Shores and HA Wagner coal-fired units by October 1, 2025, and the Warrior Run unit by October 1, 2030.

The proposed legislation establishes a Fossil Fuel Community Transition Fund and a Fossil Fuel Transition Advisory Council, all designed to ease the economic and labor impacts of the retirements. 

With GenOn’s 2020 retirement of the coal-fired Dickerson Generating Station, and the recently announced retirement of Chalk Point by June 1, 2021, the proposed legislation sets the stage for GenOn to retire all of its Maryland coal-fired generating operations by 2027.  GenOn will continue to operate its existing gas and oil-fired units at Morgantown, Chalk Point and Dickerson.  These units will serve a critical role in Maryland and the PJM marketplace, particularly with the expected increase in electric generation from intermittent renewable power sources.

“We are supportive of Senator West’s and Delegate Brooks’ bill which will provide certainty on the operational life of the Morgantown and Chalk Point coal-fired generating stations.  These retirements reflect the sentiment of the citizens of Maryland, and will facilitate a smooth transition for GenOn’s employees and the communities in which we currently operate,” said Dave Freysinger, CEO of GenOn Holdings, Inc.

GenOn Holdings, Inc.
Investors@GenOn.com