Solar Power Back on the Agenda at the Legislature
A bill authorizing community solar programs in West Virginia was introduced in the House of Delegates on January 17, 2024. The bill, HB 4834, would extend the benefits of solar energy to electric consumers who have no roof space, live in shady…
New Energy Jobs Await West Virginia – If We Just Elect the Right Legislators
Anyone who has been to Weirton in the last decade has seen the shuttered steel plant, with its miles of pipelines, squarely in the middle of town. Now there is new life and hope in Weirton thanks to Form Energy’s long-duration battery facility…
The Virginia Acorn Program – An Idea for West Virginia
This year, Virginia donors sent 12 tons of acorns and other tree seeds to the Virginia Department of Forestry to secure Virginia’s arboreal future. It is all part of a decade-old program to grow and plant hardwood seedlings in Virginia’s…
Announcing Fix It — Vote Climate Action!
Conservation West Virginia, a nonpartisan environmental guardian, announces Fix It, a campaign to engage and empower younger voters who care about West Virginia’s climate to Vote Climate Action!
Vote to Keep Our Mountains Cool
Our…
The Montana Children’s Climate Lawsuit
Montana is a lot like West Virginia – rural, sparsely populated, scenic, and dominated by coal interests. There is one significant difference. In the 1970s, Montana amended its constitution to create a right on behalf of citizens to “a…
EPA’s New Power Plant Emission Regulations
On May 11, 2023, the EPA proposed new power plant emission regulations. Power plants produce 25% of all U.S. greenhouse gasses, so the sector is an obvious place to make progress. These proposed regulations, along with the Inflation Reduction…
Carbon Offset Agreements at Risk
Carbon offset agreements are private contracts between emitters of greenhouse gasses and owners of forested lands. These lands act as a natural carbon sink. West Virginia's trees remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and convert the carbon…
West Virginia’s Supreme Court Case Could Undermine Climate Policy
As if we need more to worry about, an anticipated United States Supreme Court ruling in West Virginia vs. the Environmental Protection Agency may permanently alter the ability of that agency to regulate climate change.
This case on which…
WV House Passes Program to Regulate Geothermal Energy
In response to a research project being conducted at West Virginia University, the House of Delegates passed HB 4098 on February 10, 2022. This bill sets up a regulatory structure for geothermal energy in the state. Geothermal energy is…
WV Repeals Restrictions on Nuclear Power
In a fast-tracked process resulting in the passage of SB 4 by the West Virginia Legislature, the state no longer has any statutory guidance on how to evaluate an application to build a nuclear power plant. The repeal bill was signed by the Governor…
