West Virginia Emerges as Energy Innovation Hub with Blackstone Energy Major Power Generation Commitment

Blackstone Energy Transition Partners is making significant moves in the U.S. power infrastructure sector with a substantial capital deployment aimed at addressing America’s surging electricity demand. The firm has greenlit a $1.2 billion funding commitment for Wolf Summit Energy, a 600-megawatt combined-cycle natural gas generation facility set to be constructed in Harrison County, West Virginia.

Addressing the AI Power Surge

The timing of this initiative reflects a broader industry trend. As data centers and artificial intelligence infrastructure proliferate across the nation, utility operators face mounting pressure to expand generating capacity. The Wolf Summit facility will supply power to Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC), which currently provides electricity to approximately 1.5 million customers across Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. The plant’s output is particularly designed to meet ODEC’s growing demand from the emerging AI and computing economy.

A First for West Virginia

This marks a historic milestone—the inaugural combined-cycle natural gas power plant to be constructed within West Virginia. The project will utilize GE Vernova’s advanced 7HA.02 gas turbine technology, known for its operational flexibility and efficiency metrics. According to GE Vernova’s leadership, this equipment configuration enables rapid response to variable demand patterns characteristic of modern data center workloads within the PJM interconnection region.

Economic Impact and Job Creation

Beyond energy supply considerations, the undertaking is projected to generate 500 construction-phase employment opportunities while catalyzing secondary economic development across the region. State leadership has highlighted the project as evidence of West Virginia’s expanding role in the national energy infrastructure investment landscape.

Blackstone Energy’s Broader Infrastructure Strategy

This Wolf Summit commitment operates within the context of Blackstone Energy Transition Partners’ larger portfolio. Over the preceding three and a half years, the investment platform has directed capital toward approximately 1,600 megawatts of new-build generation capacity throughout the United States. Recent parallel engagements include the Hill Top Energy Center (620 megawatts) in Western Pennsylvania and Potomac Energy Center (774 megawatts) in Loudoun County, Virginia.

Blackstone Energy Transition Partners manages a $27 billion global equity portfolio concentrated across energy sector investments. The firm’s investment thesis emphasizes backing seasoned management teams and deploying flexible capital to enable operational improvement and enterprise scaling, while simultaneously generating returns for stakeholders and contributing to reliable, cost-effective energy delivery.