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Introduced Version House Resolution 5 History

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HOUSE RESOLUTION 5

(By Delegates Zatezalo, J. Kelly, Reynolds, Howell, Miller, Forsht, Barnhart, Wamsley, and Cooper)

[Introduced January 13, 2022.]

 

Regarding the urgent need to improve grid stability and benefit national security by ensuring available baseload generation through the deployment of dispatchable low carbon electric generation options.

Whereas, The welfare of the citizens and the economic and geopolitical security of the nation depends on the affordability, reliability and resilience of the electric power using abundant, domestic fuel supplies and supply chains; and

Whereas, Recent winter and summer power outages across the country have made it clear that existing thermal power plants with fuel storage, including coal, nuclear, and duel-fuel capability, are essential to maintain an affordable, reliable, and resilient electric grid; and

Whereas, State and federal policies seeking reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon dioxide, are driving subsidies, regulations, and other policies that either directly or indirectly result in the premature retirement of thermal dispatchable power plants and the construction of nondispatchable wind and solar projects; and

Whereas, The continued deployment of nondispatchable, intermittent wind and solar power projects without a backup power source will expose the electric grid to less reliability and resilience unless sufficient dispatchable power generation is maintained in the bulk power system; and

Whereas, Economics and scaling issues currently remain a challenge for energy storage technologies to provide sufficient capacity to replace the grid reliability and resilience role played by dispatchable thermal electric generation; and

Whereas, The premature retirement of thermal dispatchable plants have eroded and will continue to erode the affordability, resilience, and reliability of electric grids across the United States until there are sufficient transmission facilities or replacement fuel infrastructure in place; and

Whereas, Additionally, the premature retirement of thermal dispatchable plants is a matter of national security; and

Whereas, China remains the world’s largest CO2 emitter; and

Whereas, India also emits more CO2 than the United States; and

Whereas, The United States retiring its thermal dispatchable plants is premature, weakens the power grid, and threatens our national security; and

Whereas, The deployment of Advanced Nuclear Reactors (ANR), Small Modular Nuclear Reactors (SMNR) and Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS) at coal and gas power plants in lieu of prematurely retiring such plants provide viable dispatchable low-carbon options that can meet the goals of state and federal low-carbon policies without further eroding the affordability, reliability and resilience of the electric grid or the geopolitical security of the United States; and

Whereas, Current low-carbon policies are putting at risk grid affordability, reliability and resilience; and

Whereas, Foreign supply chains associated with renewable energy and battery storage technologies make ANR, SMNR and CCUS preferred low carbon options form a geopolitical security standpoint; therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Delegates:

That the West Virginia House of Delegates urges state and federal legislators, state and federal public utility regulators, Independent System Operators (ISO), and Retail Transmission Organizations (RTOs) to adopt laws, regulations, protocols and policies that provide market incentives to foster the maintenance of adequate and reliable dispatchable sources of power and encourage the deployment of ANRs, SMNRs and CCUS at coal and gas power plants in lieu of prematurely retiring such plants; and, be it

Further resolved, The West Virginia House of Delegates urges that these reforms and policies should be pursued with a sense of renewed urgency given the multiyear development lead-time for ANR, SMNR and CCUS projects; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates forward a copy of this resolution to the President of the United States Senate, to the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and to the members of West Virginia’s Congressional Delegation.

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