Black Diamond Power Under PSC Investigation

The Public Service Commission (PSC) of West Virginia recently opened an investigation into West Virginia electricity provider Black Diamond Power Company. 

The power company provides electrical service to about 4,886 customers in Clay, Wyoming and Raleigh counties.

The commission fielded complaints over unusual billing practices and electrical service. PSC legal staff is currently examining the company’s service reliability and will file a report on those issues by early next year.

The PSC legal staff said in September that Black Diamond is providing “inadequate and unreasonable” service.

This week, the Speaker of the House of Delegates, Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay, sent a letter to the PSC recommending they should deny Black Diamond’s request for a rate increase and that the company should be sold “to another entity capable of providing adequate electric utility service to the customers in the service territory served by Black Diamond Power Company.”

“The failure of Black Diamond Power Company to deliver adequate and reliable electric service in its territory has contributed to the departure of businesses from Clay and the failure of economic development projects in Clay County,” he wrote. “Few areas of West Virginia are more in need of economic growth and expansion, yet without a reliable electric utility serving the area, economic opportunities are limited.”

Since September 2024, the PSC has received 48 informal complaints against the company “alleging unusual and irregular billing practices” and 12 additional informal complaints on safety, reliability of service and other issues.

Staff said they were “greatly concerned” about a recent increase in complaints. Since Sept. 1, 2025, the commission has received 19 informal and two formal complaints against the company.

“The number of complaints regarding the quality, reliability and safety of service, especially to a health care facility, creates a risk of irreparable harm to the public health and the commission should order an interim remedy to this risk and allow for adequate and safe electric service during the pendency of the investigation of Black Diamond,” the staff petition said.