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In a speech for the gas and oil association, Gov. Patrick Morrisey discussed more than $15 billion in economic development projects coming to the state.
“When I came in, I knew that for West Virginia to lift its standard of living up, we needed to identify those needle-moving things to lower population loss, increase workforce participation, and draw private sector investment in at a level we’ve never seen before,” he said to the Gas and Oil Association of West Virginia summer meeting at The Greenbrier. “I think that amounts to over 15,000 jobs.”
Morrisey explained that was the impetus behind House Bill 2014 and the 50 by 50 plan. HB 2014 is a framework to encourage investment in the state from data center developers, and the 50 by 50 plan is Morrisey’s ambitious push for West Virginia to triple its energy output by 2050 from roughly 16 gigawatts to 50 gigawatts.
“If West Virginia were its own country, we would be a top 20 global energy producer,” he said. “We’re the second largest coal producer and the fourth largest natural gas producer in America. And the latest stats I have show we generate 10% of the nation’s gas supply.”
Recent announcements from the governor’s office include a 2.6 gigawatt gas fired power plant in Grant County by Dominion Energy, a 500 megawatt plant in Moundsville, and a 1.2 gigawatt plant by Ft. Martin in Monongalia County.
“We’re looking at close to nine gigawatts of energy since Oct. 1 of announced energy,” Morrisey said. “When I came out with 50 by 50 back last September, a lot of people said, ‘Hey, the governor, he might be off the rocker a little bit, maybe a little bit ambitious. Should we start talking about 60 by 40 or changing the numbers?’”