West Virginia Intrastate Energy Use Act

SB 24 proposes to add a new section to the West Virginia Code to establish the West Virginia Intrastate Energy Use Act.

ISSUES: Clean Air, Climate, Development

CWV Position: Opposes

Position Statement: Conservation West Virginia opposes SB 24 because it dilutes effective environmental protection by sidelining federal oversight, risks public health and clean air/water safeguards, and could create regulatory uncertainty — all without delivering clear environmental or economic benefits.

SB 24 would create a new state law asserting that environmental regulation of coal, oil, and natural gas extracted and used within West Virginia would fall exclusively under state authority — specifically the West Virginia Department of Energy — rather than federal agencies like the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

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