2023 Legislative Priorities

Energy:

Community Solar – promote access to affordable renewable energy through a solar facility subscription service where customers can purchase an interest in a solar facility and use credits against their electric utility costs.

Orphaned Gas Well Responsibility – require bonds to be set before drilling begins to cover plugging costs for gas wells that are abandoned or orphaned.

Adequate funding for inspectors for the WV DEP Office of Oil and Gas – support a tiered annual fee to create consistent annual funding to hire more inspectors and properly manage wells.

Mineland Reclamation – monitor the implementation of 2022’s SB 1 which allocates taxpayer funds to provide bonds for high-risk coal operations.

Advanced Nuclear – monitor 2022’s bill to repeal the state’s ban on nuclear power, while opposing expansion of this energy source if no safe long-term storage is available.

Hydrogen Hub/CCS – monitor legislative developments and oppose any proposal that increases carbon emissions through use of fossil fuels.

Clean Water:

Aboveground Storage Tank Legislation – prevent further rollback of legislation passed after the 2014 chemical spill in Charleston. Recently defeated bills would have relaxed inspection requirements on oil and gas tanks located within zones of critical concern.

Safe Drinking Water – provide adequate public health protections from toxins threatening our drinking water supplies, specifically a group of chemicals known as “PFAS” or forever chemicals.

Water Quality Standards/Triennial Review – provide outreach and education at legislative public meetings as legislature and WV DEP develop water quality standard rules.

Additional Priorities:

Public Lands – defeat proposals to open up public lands to Off-Road Vehicles and other legislation that would degrade West Virginia’s state parks and forests.

Clean Elections/Voter Protection legislation – monitor harmful rollbacks to voter registration, early voting, and safe and secure elections.