Bill > HB4481

This bill, known as the "Electric Load Forecast Accountability Act," establishes new oversight for the Public Service Commission (PSC) of West Virginia regarding how electricity demand is predicted. Recognizing that organizations like PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. (PJM), a regional transmission organization that manages the electric grid, rely on these predictions to plan for future electricity needs, and that inaccurate forecasts can lead to unnecessary costs for consumers, the bill grants the PSC the authority to review and validate load forecasts submitted by West Virginia utilities and other companies to PJM. The PSC will investigate the methods, data, and assumptions used in these forecasts, including auditing specific projects seeking to connect to the grid to ensure they are likely to be developed, and will coordinate with PJM and other states to prevent double-counting of projects. Importantly, the bill allows the PSC to access confidential agreements and customer data related to load forecasting, but it also mandates that individual customer data remain confidential and exempt from public disclosure, though aggregated data may be released under certain conditions. The PSC is required to publish an annual report detailing its implementation efforts, findings, and recommendations for improving load forecasting and electrical resource planning, and this act will expire on December 31, 2031, unless extended by the Legislature.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Transportation and Infrastructure

http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/Bills_history.cfm?input=4481&year=2026&sessiontype=RS&btype=bill