Public Comment Open Until 5 p.m. March 4 On Proposed Morgantown Power Plant Sale

CHARLES COUNTY, Md. — Charles County residents can submit public comments to federal regulators on the proposed sale and redevelopment of the Morgantown Generating Station through 5 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. Comments must be submitted through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s online eFiling system under docket number EC26-58-000.

The federal review involves the proposed acquisition of the former coal-fired power plant by TeraWulf, a developer of large-scale digital infrastructure, high-performance computing and bitcoin mining facilities.

The transaction is being reviewed under Section 203 of the Federal Power Act, which requires FERC approval before certain utility facilities valued above $10 million can be sold or transferred. The Commission must determine whether the proposed transaction is consistent with the public interest.

Project Background

TeraWulf announced plans Feb. 2, 2026, to acquire the Morgantown site as part of its expansion into power and data center development. The transaction remains subject to third-party consents and federal regulatory approval.

According to the company, the Morgantown property includes approximately 250 buildable acres and existing grid-connected infrastructure, including four operating oil-fired generating units totaling approximately 216 megawatts. The company said the site has the potential to scale to up to 1 gigawatt of energy load over time, with initial plans focused on developing 500 megawatts of new capacity.

TeraWulf stated the development approach is designed to pair future onsite demand with incremental generation and battery storage to maintain what it describes as a net-positive energy contribution to Maryland’s power supply.

Local Participation In Federal Docket

The federal review has prompted filings from regulatory agencies, advocacy organizations and local residents seeking to weigh in on the proposed sale.

On Feb. 11, 2026, Monitoring Analytics, acting as the Independent Market Monitor for PJM Interconnection, filed a motion seeking to extend the original comment deadline to March 27.

On Feb. 17, 2026, Public Citizen filed its own motion requesting additional time for review.

Local residents and community leaders have also submitted motions to intervene and written comments in the case.

Among them, Tina Wilson, president of the Port Tobacco River Conservancy and a lifelong Charles County resident who identified herself as a property owner in the vicinity of the plant, filed concerns about potential impacts to the Port Tobacco River. In her filing, Wilson stated that the conservancy’s mission is to preserve and protect the river and expressed concern about possible effects on water quality. She noted that the Port Tobacco River is located downstream from the plant and could be affected by future development at the site.

In a separate filing, another Charles County resident described the proposal as “an unnecessary and dubious rush to judgment” and argued that the transaction is “decidedly NOT in the public interest,” raising concerns about energy demand, environmental impacts and the potential effects of data center development on nearby communities.

Deadline Clarified

FERC issued an errata notice on Feb. 17, 2026, extending the comment deadline from Feb. 23 to 5 p.m. Eastern on March 4, 2026. An errata notice is an official correction issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission when a filing contains an error or needs clarification.

In this case, the extension notice was initially filed under the incorrect docket number EC25-58-000 and was later corrected. However, the corrected entry did not restate the extension language, and the extension itself does not appear when searching under the correct docket number in FERC’s eLibrary system. The March 4 deadline applies to docket EC26-58-000.

How Residents Can Submit Comments

Residents who wish to participate in the federal review must submit comments through the FERC online eFiling system under docket number EC26-58-000.

Because this case is categorized as an “EC” corporate transaction docket, it cannot be submitted through FERC’s standard eComment system. The eComment option is limited to certain docket types, including P, CP, PF, PT, ET, AD, RM and PL cases.

Users must first create a free FERC Online account. After registering, FERC sends a verification email with a link that must be used to begin the submission process. Those who do not see the email should check their spam or junk folder. The BayNet followed the full filing process in advance of publication to confirm the process.

The docket remains active, and public comments and motions to intervene will be accepted through 5 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday, March 4, 2026.

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