Tag: Energy

Energy Storage Project Using West Virginia-Made Batteries Gets $100 Million In Federal Funds

This week, the Department of Energy announced it would provide more than $100 million to a “multi-day energy storage project” using batteries from Form Energy’s new Weirton factory, located in Hancock County.

Batteries developed in West Virginia will soon power a major energy storage project in Lincoln, Maine.

This week, the United States Department of Energy (DOE) announced it would provide more than $100 million to a “multi-day energy storage project” using batteries from Form Energy’s new Weirton factory, located in Hancock County.

The project is developing an energy storage facility in Maine using batteries made by the West Virginia plant. The facility will be able to store energy for up to 100 hours without recharging, ready for use. It is also part of a wider $2.3 DOE investment to strengthen the energy grid nationally.

State officials look at West Virginia’s role in the project as an opportunity to support the local economy, and bolster resources for the state’s energy sector.

“For generations, West Virginia has done the heavy lifting, doing everything asked of it to create a legacy as America’s energy and manufacturing powerhouse,” said Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., in a Thursday press release.

“This investment is great news for Weirton and signals that West Virginia will continue our proud tradition of helping power America,” said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va.

Mateo Jaramillo, co-founder and CEO of Form Energy, said the newly announced plans mark “the largest energy storage project based on energy capacity announced yet in the world.”

The company is actively finishing construction on its factory in Weirton, breaking ground just over a year ago. It marks Form Energy’s first high-volume manufacturing facility, located on a 55-acre plot.

The company is currently testing its manufacturing lines and recruiting workers to prepare for higher-capacity production by the end of the year.

Jaramillo said the project could also help revitalize Weirton’s economy, “fostering sustainable development and long-term prosperity.”

The company came to the West Virginia community because of its “existing transportation infrastructure” and “strong talent base,” according to a Thursday press release.

West Virginia Secretary of Economic Development Mitch Carmichael said Hancock County’s role in the project shows that West Virginia remains a key player in industry and energy production nationally.

“West Virginians have always been willing to sacrifice for the energy, steel and work ethic needed by our great nation,” he said. “Our state’s interest in continuing our energy heritage with Form Energy is showing dividends.”

Navigating Early Childhood Nutrition And How A Plant Closure Is Affecting A PA City, This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, from allergies to introducing solids, the first few years of a child’s life have a surprising number of decisions for parents to make. In our latest entry of “Now What? A Series on Parenting,” Chris Schulz talks with Isabela Negrin, an assistant professor of pediatrics at WVU Medicine, about the ins and outs of early childhood nutrition.

On this West Virginia Morning, from allergies to introducing solids, the first few years of a child’s life have a surprising number of decisions for parents to make. In our latest entry of “Now What? A Series on Parenting,” Chris Schulz talks with Isabela Negrin, an assistant professor of pediatrics at WVU Medicine, about the ins and outs of early childhood nutrition.

Also, in this show, it’s been a year since Pennsylvania’s largest coal-fired power plant shut down. Like hundreds of these plants around the country, the Homer City generating station in Indiana County faced stiff competition from natural gas and renewables. The Allegheny Front’s Reid Frazier went to Homer City to find out how the closure is affecting a community that relied on this plant for decades.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.

Eric Douglas produced this episode.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

Public Service Commission Requests Review Of New Federal Energy Policy

The Public Service Commission of West Virginia asked federal administrators Wednesday to reconsider a recent decision that granted regional authorities more control over local energy infrastructure.

Updated on Friday, June 14, 2024 at 10:02 a.m.

The Public Service Commission of West Virginia (PSC) asked federal administrators Wednesday to reconsider a recent decision that granted the federal government more control over local energy infrastructure.

On May 13, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a final ruling — dubbed Order 1920 — requiring local and state electricity providers to coordinate long-term energy planning with other agencies across their regions.

Plus, the policy mandates providers to consider alternative forms of energy, like wind and solar power, in the planning process.

The PSC alleged that these requirements undermine states’ authority by granting out-of-state actors influence over in-state energy services.

“We do not believe that the final rule fully considered the element of uncertainty and potential for error,” the PSC’s plea read.

Pictured above, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Willie Phillips discussed Order 1920 in a video shared online May 13.

Photo Credit: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

PSC Chairman Charlotte Lane said in a Thursday press release that West Virginia officials also worry about new costs.

Lane said the FERC ruling “substantially undermines states’ role in transmission planning and will not result in just or reasonable rates.”

In an email to West Virginia Public Broadcasting, Andy Gallagher, PSC director of communications, said these concerns center around the possibility of costs from states opting for more alternative fuels falling back on “production states” like West Virginia.

Still, some FERC commissioners said the new policies will ensure that energy infrastructure is compatible across regions, and does not vary widely on the local level.

“Our country is facing an unprecedented surge in demand for affordable electricity while confronting extreme weather threats to the reliability of our grid,” FERC Chairman Willie Phillips said in May. “Our nation needs a new foundation to get badly needed new transmission planned, paid for and built.”

The federal ruling was described as final, but FERC policy grants the public a 30-day window to request a rehearing on decisions — a deadline the PSC met.

**Editor’s note: This story was updated to include a comment from Andy Gallagher, director of communications for the Public Service Commission of West Virginia.

Community Air Monitoring Data Would Be Inadmissible In Proceedings Under House Bill

A bill under consideration in the West Virginia House of Delegates would disallow community air monitoring data from being used in legal or regulatory proceedings.

A bill that received committee support in the West Virginia House of Delegates Tuesday would prevent publicly sourced air pollution data from being used in lawsuits and regulatory proceedings.

House Bill 5018 was drafted in response to the rise of community air monitoring in West Virginia. This refers to pollution data collected by members of the public, as opposed to governmental agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Proponents of the bill said it would ensure that air pollution data used in legal or regulatory proceedings meet standards set by accredited state and federal agencies.

But, at a meeting of the House Committee on Energy and Manufacturing, some lawmakers voiced concerns that the legislation would limit residents’ abilities to identify and substantiate air pollution concerns.

“I’m not a massive fan of this bill,” said Del. Kayla Young, D-Kanawha.

“I think more community air monitoring is a good thing, not a bad thing,” she continued. “We shouldn’t be hurting our citizens and getting rid of transparency. So, I’m a no on this one.”

Young said that lawmakers have not done enough to invest in air monitoring, despite recent EPA funding allocated to the state for these projects.

Still, the bill received support from a majority of committee members, who referred it back to the House with the recommendation that it be passed.

“Community monitoring is not forbidden by this bill at all,” said Del. Mark Zatezalo, R-Hancock, who sponsored the bill. Zatezalo added that the pending legislation would simply set a standard for what quality of data is admissible to official proceedings.

“Good data and better, supportable data is important for ongoing analysis,” he said. “I have a hard time trying to figure out why that is a big, big problem.”

Conversations From The State Legislature And Morgantown Welcomes Ukraine Veteran, This West Virginia Week

On this West Virginia Week, the West Virginia Legislative session is in full swing, and lawmakers have been considering a number of pieces of legislation. We’ll listen back to a few of our conversations with our guests this week on our program The Legislature Today. Also, we’ll hear from a man who recently arrived in Morgantown from the front lines in Ukraine.

On this West Virginia Week, the West Virginia Legislative session is in full swing, and lawmakers have been considering a number of pieces of legislation – from education, jobs, energy, hunger and more. We’ll listen back to a few of our conversations with our guests this week on our program The Legislature Today. 

We also hear from a man who recently arrived in Morgantown from the front lines in Ukraine.

Liz McCormick is our host this week. Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert.

West Virginia Week is a web-only podcast that explores the week’s biggest news in the Mountain State. It’s produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker, Liz McCormick, and Randy Yohe.

Learn more about West Virginia Week.

State Ranks Near Bottom In Electricity Reliability, Federal Data Show

West Virginia has the most frequent power interruptions except for three states. And it has the longest power interruptions of any state but one.

West Virginia has some of the worst electricity reliability in the country, according to federal data.

West Virginia has the most frequent power interruptions except for three states. And it has the longest power interruptions of any state but one.

That’s according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Annual Electric Power Industry Report.

West Virginians experienced an average of nearly three interruptions a year in 2022, and an average duration of more than 15 hours. The U.S. average was 1.4 outages and 5.6 hours.

Most of those interruptions were not during major weather events, such as December 2022’s Winter Storm Elliott, when temperatures plunged into the single digits and below zero.

Only Florida, with two major hurricanes in 2022, had outages with a longer average duration. Alaska, Tennessee and Maine had more annual power interruptions.

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