In August, Governor Justice appointed the former and current heads of the Coal Association to prominent positions: to the Public Service Commission (PSC) and Public Energy Authority (PEA). The PSC regulates how our electric utilities work, among other things, and the PEA is a formerly-defunct body that has the power to use public money to buy energy infrastructure, including power plants. Stacking these organizations with industry leaders is a disservice to the public and erodes confidence in their ability to act in the public’s interest.  The PEA is supposed to have an environmental advocate on it, but they appointed a coal lawyer, Jeffery Allen, to that position, too; and also appointed an oil and gas lobbyist, Charlie Burd.

All appointments to the PSC and PEA must receive the advice and consent of the Senate, before the appointments are confirmed. In some cases, the Senate Confirmations Committee will bring the appointees to testify and answer questions before confirmation, but no such meeting has been scheduled as of today.

Please contact the members of the Confirmations Committee and ask them to:

1. Require the PSC and PEA appointees to come before their Committee;
2. Ask Bill Raney of the PSC, how he will protect consumers from the high costs that coal-fired electricity has saddled us with here in WV;
3. Ask Chris Hamilton of the PEA, whether he will use his position to encourage the state to buy coal-fired power plants;
4. Ask Jeffery Allen and any other appointees to the PEA what “significant experience in the advocacy of environmental protection” he has/they have that might qualify them as meeting the requirement that there is an environmental advocate on the PEA board.
5. Respond to you, in writing, as to their plans.

It is important the Confirmations Committee hears from concerned citizens AKA the Public. Thank you!

Members of the Senate Confirmations Committee:

Senator Boley – Chair (304) 357-7905  donna.boley@wvsenate.gov
Senator Takubo – Vice-Chair (304) 357-7990  tom.takubo@wvsenate.gov
Senator Azinger  (304) 357-7970  mike.azinger@wvsenate.gov
Senator Baldwin (304) 357-7959  stephen.baldwin@wvsenate.gov
Senator Plymale  (304) 357-7937  robert.plymale@wvsenate.gov
Senator Rucker  (304) 357-7957  patricia.rucker@wvsenate.gov
Senator Stollings  (304) 357-7939  ron.stollings@wvsenate.gov
Senator Tarr  (304) 357-7901  eric.tarr@wvsenate.gov
Senator Weld  (304) 357-7984  ryan.weld@wvsenate.gov