Bill > SB1041

This bill, titled the "Energy Economic Load Dispatch Act," establishes new requirements for utility companies in West Virginia regarding the construction and operation of electric generation facilities. It mandates that utilities must comply with a "True Cost Economic Load Dispatch" principle to obtain, keep, or modify certificates of public convenience and necessity, which are official approvals from the Public Service Commission (PSC) needed to build or change power plants. The bill also requires the PSC to consider resource adequacy, reliability, and integrated resource plans, including subsidies and externalities, when reviewing utility plans, giving the PSC a clearer standard for these reviews. Furthermore, if a utility's costs are incurred due to dispatch or planning decisions that don't follow the new economic load dispatch rules, those costs are presumed to be imprudent and cannot be passed on to customers. The PSC's authority over siting and permitting is also expanded to ensure compliance with these new energy dispatch standards, requiring alternative state-approved analyses if regional transmission organizations, which manage the flow of electricity, fail to provide necessary data.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/Bills_history.cfm?input=1041&year=2026&sessiontype=RS&btype=bill