SENATE RESOLUTION 33

(By Senators Smith, Queen, Boley, Caputo, Martin, Nelson, Oliverio, Phillips, Stover, Stuart, Swope and Taylor)

[Originating in the Committee on Energy, Industry, and Mining; reported on February 15, 2023]

Strongly urging West Virginia’s congressional delegation to promote new construction of coal-fired electric generation facilities and development of efficient clean coal technology and carbon sequestration projects in West Virginia.

Whereas, PJM is a regional transmission organization in the eastern United States that operates an electric transmission system serving all or parts of 13 states, including West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. The PJM organization purchases electricity from electric generating facilities in the regional system and supplies it to customers based on demand. The fuel sources for these electric generating facilities are coal, natural gas, nuclear, and renewal resources;

Whereas, Winter Storm Elliott created winter storm conditions which caused historically  cold temperatures over a five-day period in December 2022 across most of the United States.  These record low temperatures resulted in significant increase in demand for electrical power in the area served by PJM.  The facilities supplying electrical power to PJM could not meet this demand which caused power outages across the PJM regional system. The failure to meet this increased demand for electrical power was due in large part to a shortage of a dependable fuel source;

Whereas, West Virginia has had and continues to have an abundant supply of coal as a reliable fuel source for electric generating facilities; and

Whereas, the development of efficient clean coal technology and carbon sequestration projects will encourage and increase coal production in West Virginia; therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate:

That the West Virginia Senate strongly urges West Virginia’s congressional delegation to promote new construction of coal-fired power electric generation facilities and the development of effective clean coal technology and carbon sequestration projects to promote coal production in West Virginia as a reliable fuel source for the generation of electricity; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the Senate forward a copy of this resolution to West Virginia’s congressional delegation and the Public Service Commission.