Blackstone Energy Transition Partners has committed $1.2 billion to develop Wolf Summit Energy, a new 600-megawatt combined-cycle natural gas facility in Harrison County, West Virginia. The investment follows a recent Final Investment Decision that clears the way for construction to begin on what will become the first combined cycle natural gas power plant ever built in the state.
The project is contracted to provide reliable power to Old Dominion Electric Cooperative, which supplies electricity to roughly 1.5 million residents across Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware. The Wolf Summit is expected to support rising power needs driven by economic expansion and the growth of AI-related data centers, while also generating approximately 500 construction jobs and stimulating additional local development.
Blackstone noted that meeting growing electricity demand from AI-related infrastructure is one of the firm’s strongest investment priorities. Wolf Summit follows other recent Blackstone-backed power investments, including Hill Top Energy Center in Western Pennsylvania and Potomac Energy Center in Virginia. Through these and other projects, Blackstone Energy Transition Partners has contributed approximately 1,600 megawatts of new generation capacity across the United States in the last three and a half years.
GE Vernova’s 7HA.02 turbine technology will power the new facility. State leaders also highlighted the investment as a milestone in West Virginia’s expanding role in the national energy landscape.
Blackstone Energy Transition Partners operates as Blackstone’s strategy for control-oriented equity investments in energy-related businesses. The group has committed more than $27 billion of equity across the sector worldwide by supporting management teams that develop more reliable, affordable, and cleaner energy systems while building large-scale enterprises that create jobs and long-term economic value.
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“Helping meet the rising demand for electricity from AI and other areas is among our highest conviction investment themes at Blackstone. We are proud that this project is expected to not only create hundreds of local jobs in West Virginia, but also generate more affordable, efficient and reliable power supply.”
Bilal Khan, Senior Managing Director, Blackstone, and Mark Zhu, Managing Director, Blackstone
“I am excited that the first-ever combined-cycle, natural gas power plant in West Virginia is being built using GE Vernova’s highly efficient and flexible 7HA.02 gas turbine that can provide capacity and energy for the rising AI and industrialization demands in PJM. We look forward to working closely with Blackstone to complete development and start construction of this important project for the community.”
Dave Ross, President and CEO, GE Vernova Gas Power, Americas
“West Virginia’s status as a global energy player is only beginning to be realized. Blackstone’s $1.2 billion investment not only signifies its commitment to West Virginia, it highlights our emergence as the leading state in the country for energy growth and investment.”
Governor Morrisey
