WV Route 46, Keyser, WV, 26726

Zoning

Mixed

Black Oak Substation occupies a strategic 6,000-acre site on WV Route 46 in Keyser, serving as a critical node in the PJM Interconnection. The facility sits directly on the Hatfield–Black Oak–Bedington 500 kV corridor, supporting regional bulk power transfer, voltage control, and reliability across Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and the broader PJM footprint. Infrastructure includes a large static var compensator commissioned around 2007 with a rating of 145 Mvar inductive to 575 Mvar capacitive, providing dynamic reactive power support to stabilize voltage on the 500 kV system, reduce congestion, and increase transfer capacity on existing transmission lines. Multiple 500 kV capacitor banks deliver capacity in the hundreds of MVA range, paired with 500/138 kV transformers and associated switchgear and breakers. Recent PJM RTEP-related upgrades have reconfigured the 500 kV bus to split reactive resources between buses, added 500 kV circuit breakers on the SVC string and the number three 500/138 kV transformer, and modernized relaying systems to address voltage drop and reliability criteria under contingency conditions. The substation links directly into the 500 kV backbone and supports nearby projects including the Messick Road–Ridgeley 138 kV rebuild and broader Mid-Atlantic resiliency efforts, serving as a reference point for contingency analysis and system support across the regional grid.