Near Carbo, VA 2013: converting to Natural Gas. Appalachian Power is seeking approval from state regulators in Virginia and West Virginia to spend about $65 million to convert two 240-MW coal-fired generating units at its 720-MW Clinch River baseload coal plant in southwestern Virginia to natural gas over the next three years. Todd Burns, a spokesman for the American Electric Power subsidiary, said Friday that if regulators approve APCo's request, one Clinch River unit will be switched to gas in September 2015, the other in February 2016. A third 240-MW coal unit will be shut down on June 1, 2014, he said, because of economic reasons.