American Electric Power closes 10 coal-fired power plants in five states; cites EPA rules for closings

American Electric Power on Monday announced it has closed 10 coal-fired power plants in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia, citing proposed rules to cut CO2 emissions for the closings. Before the end of 2016, AEP also plans to turn off two more plants, in Oklahoma and Texas, Casey Junkins reports for The Intelligencer/Wheeling News-Register. The company said it would spend as much as $3.3 billion through 2020 to comply with the new rules. (Bluefield Daily Telegraph photo: The plant in Glen Lyn, Va. was closed)

The West Virginia Public Service Commission has ordered Appalachian Power to turn over more information regarding the closure of the state's three coal-fired power plants, including the potential costs of converting the plants to natural gas or other alternative fuels," Jared Hunt reports for the Charleston Daily Mail. "The commission has also ordered the company to avoid doing anything that would prevent the plants from reopening in the future during its inquiry."

Appalachian Power spokesperson Jeri Matheney said that of the 690 employees that worked at the West Virginia plants in 2011, 305 now have jobs at other American Electric Power locations, Hunt writes. "She said 135 workers left the company between 2011 and 2015 while 250 have or are in the process of taking severance packages from the company."