Solar Energy Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

The Governor’s Signed And Vetoed Bills, COVID-19 Impacts And The Race For U.S. Senate, This West Virginia Week

WVPB looked at what did and didn’t get the governor’s signature and we continue our series looking back at the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic four years after its start.

We also take a look at the Republican primary race for a U.S. Senate seat, as well as updates from the state police on investigations into sexual misconduct.

On this West Virginia Week, the deadline for the governor to sign or veto bills from the state legislature’s regular session before they automatically become law was this week, and WVPB looked at what did and didn’t get the governor’s signature.

We continue our series looking back at the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on retail and outdoor recreation four years after its start.

We also take a look at the Republican primary race for a U.S. Senate seat, as well as updates from the state police on investigations into sexual misconduct.

Chris Schulz 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.

Wayne County To Solarize All School Buildings By 2025

Wayne County Schools plans to solarize all of their buildings in the county by 2025.

Wayne County Schools plans to solarize all of their buildings in the county by 2025. In total, up to 10,000 solar panels are expected to deliver as much as 5.33 megawatts of power each year.

The installations are part of a Power Purchasing Agreement (PPA) between the school system and West Virginia solar installer and developer Solar Holler.

Dan Conant, founder and CEO of Solar Holler, said PPAs take the upfront cost of such a large installation off of entities like Wayne County Schools.

“Solar Holler’s paying for the panels, the power electronics, the racking, the wiring, and all the labor to install the equipment, and from there, Wayne County Schools is going to be buying the power for the next 25 years off the system at a 20 percent discount,“ Conant said.

PPAs were legalized by the passage of House Bill 3310 by the West Virginia Legislature in 2021. Conant said the agreement will lead to savings for the school system on energy costs.

“We’re going to be cutting Wayne County Schools’ electricity budget by $150,000 in year one, and then the savings will increase every year after that as AEP continues to hike rates,” he said.

The agreement is possible in part because of funding from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. The bill included incentives for projects placed in coal communities like Wayne County to increase investment in energy infrastructure and funding to boost domestic manufacturing of energy technologies here in the U.S.

“The world is transitioning to renewables. It’s happening really fast,” Conant said. “I want to make sure that West Virginia doesn’t get left behind, and especially coal country.”

The solarization is the latest collaboration between Solar Holler and Wayne County Schools, which is partially based in Wayne County. Last winter, the two organizations announced an apprenticeship program for qualifying seniors aimed at preparing them for future careers in the renewable energy sector. Of the original cohort of five students, three have been hired by Solar Holler and will now help install solar panels on their former schools.

“Our warehouse and our operations hub is in the West End of Huntington, at the tip of Wayne County,” he said. “For the last 10 years, we’ve been hiring within Wayne County. All of our crews are coming out of Wayne County every day. It’s really the community that helped build us up as a company.“

Solar Holler is in conversations with other school systems for similar agreements.

Note: Solar Holler is an underwriter of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Showcasing Rescue Horses And Our Song Of The Week This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, Caroline MacGregor reports on one of the largest equine events to showcase rescue and at-risk horses taking place in Winfield, West Virginia. And as classes resume at WVU students react to the university’s proposed program cuts.

On this West Virginia Morning, Caroline MacGregor reports on one of the largest equine events to showcase rescue and at-risk horses taking place in Winfield, West Virginia.

Also, as classes resume at WVU, students react to the university’s proposed program cuts, a vocational aviation facility coming to Marion County is expected to stimulate high-tech job growth, and proposed changes to solar energy in the state.

In this show, our Mountain Stage Song of the Week comes to us from an encore broadcast of Mountain Stage featuring the powerful soul-rock of The War And Treaty, 2022 Americana Music Association’s Duo/Group of the Year. We hear their song “Lover’s Game,” a soulful rocker with a retro style that brings to mind the glory days of Ike & Tina Turner.

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 Concord University and Shepherd University.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Charleston Area Medical Center and Marshall Health.

West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Bill Lynch, Caroline MacGregor, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Briana Heaney, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Liz McCormick, and Randy Yohe.

Eric Douglas is our news director. Caroline MacGregor is our assistant news director and producer.

Teresa Wills is our host. 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

Regional Power Companies Propose To End Net Metering

Currently solar customers can sell any excess solar energy they have back to the power companies for the same price that the company sells the energy. However, the power companies are proposing that they pay solar customers a lower “wholesale” price.

Mon Power and Potomac Edison filed a proposal with the Public Service Commission to change the cost of energy for solar panel owners, changing the net metering system as it is now.

They said this adjustment would make the cost of energy more equitable for non-solar customers because solar customers do not pay to store electricity, maintain the grid, or distribute the electricity that they sell. They said then those costs are passed onto other customers who do not have solar panels.

However, Leah Barbor, from West Virginians for Energy Freedom, said the idea that non solar customers will end up paying more because of solar customers is a myth.

“Ultimately, this myth serves utility interests,” Barbor said. “So, they will use it to push for policies that unfairly target solar owners. Either by raising fixed costs and demanding charges on utility bills, which will then lengthen the time it takes for solar investment to pay off, or they’ll weaken or eliminate net metering policies — which is the case here in West Virginia.”

She said that solar can make the cost of energy cheaper, especially during natural disasters, extreme weather events, and high energy demand. She also said that because solar users do not use the grid as often, they do not put much wear and tear on it, making it last longer.

“Rooftop solar really benefits everyone. And this is true for whether people have solar or not,” Barbor said.

Jefferson County Citizens Discuss Water Utility Buyout, Solar Farm At Public Hearings

Jefferson County citizens voiced their opinions at a Public Service Commission hearing Monday on a potential buyout that would see West Virginia American Water purchase four local water and sewer utilities.

Updated on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023 at 10:19 a.m.; Thursday, Feb. 9 2023 at 4:00 p.m.

These include Jefferson Utilities, Inc., Valley Water and Sewer Services, East Jefferson Sewer Services and Shenandoah Junction Public Sewer, Inc.

PSC staff estimated the buyout would increase local rates by as much as 47 percent for water and 56 percent for sewer.

The overwhelming opinion of the locals present at the hearing, including Shepherdstown resident Michael Keefe, was that such an increase would be unfair to customers.

“We’re concerned that if the rate increases go up so much, that many residents in the lower income would not be able to pay for it, or we’ll have to cut back so much on water usage that it’s detrimental to their family plan and sanitation,” Keefe said.

Previously, PSC staff recommended that West Virginia American Water establish a five-year schedule to slowly bring customers’ rates in line with the company’s existing rates.

“I think even doing these rates over time, as what was suggested, I don’t believe in that, because then it just couches for more,” fellow local and ratepayer advocate Jacquelyn Milliron said. “It hides the fact that more rate increases just get put on top.”

Those in favor of the buyout argued that as a larger company, West Virginia American Water has more resources and infrastructure to help better serve the area.

“We understand that customers are facing a lot of different situations and circumstances in their own lives,” said Megan Hannah, Senior Manager of Government and External Affairs for the company. “We do want to make sure customers know that there are many, many customer assistance programs that we offer to help those that are struggling, those that are in need. And that is not a program that’s offered currently by JUI or any other utility here in the Eastern Panhandle.”

From Water To Watts

Also discussed in a separate PSC hearing earlier in the day was the creation of a 99 megawatt solar energy farm owned by Rippon Energy on an estimated 740 to 860 acres of land in the county. Rippon cited a $125 million investment in the project that would go towards creating an in-state workforce, and that ratepayers would not be affected as a result.

Residents in favor cited solar as a renewable energy source, with some local farmers who had volunteered their land to be used saying they should have a voice in what they use their land for. Residents opposed were concerned about the efficiency of solar energy, the loss of farmland and potential waste from the facility going into the nearby Potomac and Shenandoah rivers.

The Public Service Commission held an evidentiary hearing for the West Virginia American Water case Jan. 25 and plans to hold a similar hearing for the solar farm facility Feb. 23. As of the Monday hearing, no statutory deadline for either case’s final decision has been scheduled.

Editor’s Note: This story was updated to clarify the statuses and dates of both cases’ evidentiary hearings and the projected amount of acres the solar farm will be built upon.

Harpers Ferry Enters Agreement With FirstEnergy To Support Statewide Solar Farm Construction

Harpers Ferry has entered an agreement with electric utilities Mon Power and Potomac Edison to help support the construction of solar panel sites statewide.

The town agreed to purchase a subscription of Solar Renewable Energy Credits equal to its streetlight and town hall energy usage, meant to support five sites owned by parent company FirstEnergy.

These include solar farms built on a 26-acre reclaimed ash disposal site in Berkeley County; a 51-acre site in Hancock County; a 27-acre retired ash disposal site in Marion County; a 95-acre site in Monongalia County and a 44-acre reclaimed strip mine property in Tucker County. All together, they’re expected to generate 50 megawatts of solar power across the state.

“Support of this solar initiative is good governance, and municipal, county and state government entities should lead by example,” Harpers Ferry Mayor Gregory Vaughn said in FirstEnergy release. The decision made by the town council to go forward with the agreement was unanimous.

The decision by FirstEnergy to focus their attention on renewable energy in West Virginia also comes after Senate Bill 583 was passed by state legislators in 2020, allowing for utilities companies to operate up to 200 megawatts worth of solar facilities for economic development purposes.

The utility is currently waiting for final approval from the state’s Public Service Commission, as well as similar commitments from other municipalities and customers, to begin construction of these sites.

Conditional approval for the project was granted by the PSC late last year, with construction expected to be completed by 2025.