Charleston, West Virginia (WOWK) — If you’re tired of rising utility bills, you’re not alone. West Virginia senators say they feel the same way and believe the solution is right in front of us.
Two pieces of legislation introduced in the Senate seek to revitalize West Virginia’s coal industry while lowering utility costs for customers.
The Coal Renaissance Act aims to keep current coal operations running while also creating new opportunities for the industry, including expanding mining in West Virginia.
According to senators who support the act, the optimal capacity factor for coal plants is 69%. According to industry leaders, the figure has dropped to between 30% and 40%.
A new bill known as the Reliable and Affordable Electricity Act encourages utility companies to use West Virginia coal.
“It is extremely simple for electric utilities. You are still free to choose whatever energy source you want to generate. You will no longer be able to pass on the costs of unreliable and expensive electricity to the consumer.
“You will only be paid for what you generate,” said Republican Senator Chris Rose of Monongalia County, who chairs the Senate Energy Committee. “If you choose to use an unreliable source of energy, you will bear the cost. We will no longer accept high energy prices while our coal-fired power plants are idle.
We have the energy under our feet. These plants are efficient and in good condition, and we can operate them for the foreseeable future.”
Other Republican senators on the Senate Energy Committee say they agree with Rose.
“We need to bring those coal-fired plants up to capacity. “We’ve heard repeatedly from AEP that the reason our bills are so high is that there aren’t enough people living here,” said Fayette County Senator Brian Helton. “At the same time, the coal industry creates thousands of jobs.”
When these coal plants reach full capacity, employment in West Virginia will skyrocket. We can kill two birds with one stone. We urge AEP to restart those plants and put our coal workers back to work. Our prices will gradually decrease.”
Senator Helton and other lawmakers believe that President Trump and Governor Morrisey’s support for fossil fuels makes now an excellent time to increase coal production in the Mountain State.
The Senate bill and resolution on the coal industry are currently in the Energy Committee but are expected to be brought to the full Senate floor shortly.
