Senate Creates West Virginia First Energy Act

Among the more than two dozen bills passed by the Senate on Wednesday’s Crossover Day: the West Virginia First Energy Act. 

Supporters say Senate Bill 420 is designed to stabilize electric bills by increasing the use of in-state coal-fired energy. It sets a minimum production rate of 69% that opponents like Sen. Tom Takubo, R-Kanawha, say will have the opposite effect.

“When we mandate that coal fired power plants have to run at 69% capacity, regardless if we need the energy or not, it’s going to run up rates on the electric bills,” Takubo said.

Sen. Eric Tarr, R-Putnam, said applying the economics of the proposed bill from January to November, 2025, would have brought massive utility bills to West Virginia customers.

“Those costs would have been pushed back onto rate payers at $80 million,” Tarr said. “If you go back and look at an 18-month period applying this same bill between January of 2023 through June of 2024, 18 months, that’s almost a quarter billion dollars that would come back in increased cost on electricity rates to the people of West Virginia.”

Multiple opponents of the legislation said they thought the bill was well-intentioned, but would have a negative impact on utilities. Sen. Chris Rose, R-Monongalia, said the bill fights back against the war on coal. 

“And, quite frankly, anyone who votes against this, I feel sorry for you,” Rose said with a chuckle. “It’s election year for some of you. I feel sorry for that, because this is a Friends of Mamaw bill. And far as the way of the road we’re going down, moving away from coal, she can’t afford it.” 

The bill passed 22-11 and moves now to the House of Delegates.