Morissey’s Energy Goals Lean Heavily On Fossil Fuels

Gov. Patrick Morrisey outlined his vision Wednesday for state energy policy in the next 25 years.

Morissey set a goal to more than triple West Virginia’s electricity output by 2050.

He wants the state to build 50 megawatts of power, up from the 15 megawatts it currently can produce.

He wants to do it primarily with coal, gas and nuclear.

That could be a difficult path. No new coal plant has been built anywhere in the country in more than a decade, and coal has become one of the most expensive forms of power.

The demand for new natural gas turbines has a five-year backlog. And nuclear plants can take as many as 15 years to develop.

Morissey’s policy largely omits wind and solar, which are some of the cheapest sources of electricity, and battery storage. Solar will account for the majority of power added to the grid nationwide this year.