Six objections filed in Omnis Pleasants bankruptcy case

Six objections have been filed in the ongoing Chapter 11 bankruptcy case of Omnis Pleasants, LLC, the owner and operator of the 1,278-megawatt Pleasants Power Station in Pleasants County, West Virginia. The objections, which are set to be heard on September 3 in Wilmington, Delaware, challenge various aspects of the debtor's proposed relief and restructuring.

Omnis Fuel Technologies, LLC, doing business as Omnis Energy, and Quantum Pleasants, LLC, filed four separate objections. Additionally, the West Virginia Economic Development Authority (WVEDA) and the Office of the United States Trustee each filed their own independent objections. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Karen B. Owens will preside over the hearing.

Omnis and Quantum are contesting whether the lenders’ asserted obligations are properly secured by the debtor's assets. They also dispute the proposed sale timetable and the selection of Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer (US) LLP as bankruptcy counsel, citing the firm’s prior representation of TRAG LLC and RG Energy LLC, which Omnis and Quantum consider to be owned and controlled by celebrity businessman Tony Robbins and investor Ajay Gupta.

According to the filings, the lenders are part of an investor group that installed the plant's current management and now asserts control over Omnis Pleasants. The court has yet to rule on the lenders' claims, liens, or governance rights.

The WVEDA, which holds a claim exceeding $50 million arising from a loan to Quantum Pleasants that Omnis Pleasants guaranteed, has filed its own objection. The WVEDA argues that the proposed lender protections are overly broad and could give TRAG and RG Energy a veto power over the debtor's restructuring. It also warns that the proposed credit-bid treatment could deter third-party bidders.

The WVEDA supports a fair and transparent sale process that considers the continued operations of the plant, the preservation of the workforce, and the bidders' operating experience. It has not joined the pending motion to dismiss the bankruptcy filed by Omnis and Quantum.

The Office of the United States Trustee separately objects to the proposed retention of Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer (US) LLP as bankruptcy counsel. The Trustee Program, a component of the Justice Department responsible for overseeing the bankruptcy process, questions the adequacy of disclosures made by the firm concerning its prior representation of TRAG and RG Energy. Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer maintains that it is qualified to represent Pleasants.

Charles Gassenheimer, president of Omnis Energy, stated, "The decisions made on September 3 could have significant implications for the control, financing, and potential sale of one of West Virginia's largest power plants."

Omnis-related entities played a key role in acquiring and reoperating the Pleasants Power Station in 2023. The current management of the plant filed for Chapter 11 protection on July 26, 2026, amid a dispute over governance and control. Omnis and Quantum argue that the bankruptcy was improperly initiated and not filed in good faith, a claim the debtor and lenders dispute. The court has yet to rule on these allegations.

The dismissal motion, which challenges the bankruptcy's validity, will not be heard on September 3. Instead, it is scheduled for a hearing approximately 60 days later. Judge Owens may approve, modify, or defer some or all of the immediate relief requested while the underlying challenge to the bankruptcy remains unresolved.