Construction has officially begun on the $1.2 billion Wolf Summit Energy facility in Harrison County, marking a major shift in West Virginia’s power generation strategy and a first for the state’s energy mix.
Developed by Kindle Energy in partnership with Blackstone through its energy transition platform, the 600-megawatt combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plant will be the first of its kind ever built in West Virginia. The project reached final investment decision in November 2025 and is now moving into full construction.
State officials, including Governor Patrick Morrisey, joined executives at the groundbreaking, positioning the project as a cornerstone of a broader effort to expand energy capacity and modernize infrastructure.
Anchored by Long-Term Power Demand
The Wolf Summit facility is fully contracted to supply electricity to Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC), which serves approximately 1.5 million residents across Virginia, Maryland and Delaware.
By locating generation within the same transmission zone as its end users, the project is designed to reduce exposure to congestion costs, transmission constraints and price volatility—issues that have increasingly affected power markets in the PJM region.
Chris Cosby, ODEC’s president and CEO, said the plant will play a critical role in meeting long-term demand while strengthening grid reliability and cost stability for its members.
Additionally, the project follows similar momentum from Calpine’s $1 billion gas-fired development in the state.
Advanced Gas Technology and Grid Reliability
The plant will utilize advanced natural gas turbine technology from GE Vernova, including its 7HA.02 platform, aimed at improving efficiency and ensuring consistent baseload power supply.
Executives from Kindle Energy and Blackstone emphasized the project’s role in delivering reliable, dispatchable energy as electricity demand rises—particularly from power-intensive sectors such as data centers.
Blackstone noted the project represents a broader push to deploy new, efficient generation capacity amid tightening supply conditions in US power markets.
Jobs and Economic Impact
Construction is expected to create approximately 500 jobs in Harrison County, with additional indirect economic benefits anticipated as development progresses.
The project also follows a period of significant investment momentum in West Virginia. Since late 2025, state officials report more than $12.8 billion in private investment commitments and roughly 12,000 projected jobs, rising to $14.3 billion when combined with public initiatives.
Central to ‘50 by 50’ Energy Strategy
West Virginia’s “50 by 50” initiative directly drives the Wolf Summit project, aiming to expand the state’s total energy capacity from 15 gigawatts to 50 gigawatts by 2050.
Governor Patrick Morrisey positioned the project as a response to rising regional power demand, noting that the PJM grid will require more than 100 gigawatts of new generation capacity in the coming decades to avoid supply shortages.
The state’s strategy prioritizes firm, around-the-clock generation—including natural gas, coal and nuclear—alongside transmission expansion and long-term infrastructure planning.
Part of a Broader Buildout
The Wolf Summit development adds to a growing portfolio of gas-fired power projects backed by Blackstone. Earlier in 2026, the firm completed the Magnolia Power Generating Station in Louisiana, a 694MW greenfield CCGT facility.
Together, these projects reflect a continued buildout of large-scale, dispatchable generation assets aimed at stabilizing grids facing rising demand and increasing intermittency from renewable sources.
Wolf Summit Energy Project – Factsheet
Project Name: Wolf Summit Energy
Location: Harrison County, West Virginia, United States
Project Type: Greenfield combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plant
Capacity: 600 megawatts (MW)
Total Investment: $1.2 billion
Developers:
- Kindle Energy
- Blackstone (via Energy Transition Partners)
Offtaker: Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC)
Customers Served:
Approximately 1.5 million residents across Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware
Technology Provider:
- GE Vernova (7HA.02 gas turbine technology)
Project Status: Under construction (groundbreaking completed)
Final Investment Decision (FID): November 2025
Construction Jobs: 500 jobs
Key Milestone: First-ever combined-cycle natural gas power plant in West Virginia
Strategic Purpose:
- Provide reliable baseload power
- Reduce transmission congestion and price volatility
- Strengthen grid reliability in the PJM region
- Support rising demand, including from data centers
Policy Alignment:
Part of West Virginia’s “50 by 50” plan to expand energy capacity from 15GW to 50GW by 2050
Grid Context:
Addresses growing capacity needs in the PJM interconnection, which requires significant new generation to avoid shortages
