Virginia regulators have approved an LS Power Group affiliate's acquisition of a partial interest in the 3,003-MW Bath County pumped storage hydroelectric facility from affiliates of FirstEnergy Corp.

The transaction, announced in late 2016, was approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in June 2017. FirstEnergy agreed to sell a 23.75% interest in the Bath County facility owned by competitive generation subsidiary Allegheny Energy Supply Co., equal to 713 MW, along with some gas-fired resources, for $925 million in cash.

On March 30, the Virginia State Corporation Commission approved the sale of the nontransmission portion of the Bath County plant owned by FirstEnergy unit Allegheny Generating Co. to Bath County Energy LLC, which is ultimately owned by LS Power. FirstEnergy regulated utility Monongahela Power Co., through a related corporate restructuring in which it becomes sole owner of Allegheny Generating, will retain a 16.25% interest in the Bath County facility and a 40% interest in the Bath County plant's transmission facilities. The transmission facilities consist of two 500-kV lines that run northeast and southeast from the hydro plant. (Virginia SCC Docket No. PUR-2017-00123)

Dominion Energy Inc. subsidiary Virginia Electric and Power Co. doing business as Dominion Energy Virginia owns a 60% interest in the Bath County plant and connecting transmission lines and is the plant's operator.