Establishing Fueling Modern Life Act

SB 229 proposes to repeal most existing statutory provisions related to air pollution control in Chapter 22, Article 5 of the West Virginia Code and replace them with a new framework called the Fueling Modern Life Act. SB 229 seeks to shift West Virginia’s air quality and carbon policy toward recognizing and promoting CO₂ and carbon-based energy, rather than regulating emissions under traditional pollution control frameworks.

ISSUES: Clean Air

CWV Position: Opposes

Position Statement: SB 229 would gut West Virginia’s existing air pollution control laws and replace them with a statute that declares carbon dioxide is not a pollutant and prohibits the state from pursuing emissions reductions. This approach undermines decades of public-health and environmental protections that safeguard clean air, clean water, and community health.

Status: Introduced on 1/14/26; referred to Natural Resources Committee on 1/14/26.