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September 12, 2025 - WV Gov. Patrick Morrisey unveiled a new comprehensive energy plan for West Virginia on Wednesday, which will largely rely on doubling down on and increasing power generated from the state’s nonrenewable energy sources like coal and natural gas.
The plan — dubbed the “50 by 50” generation plan by Morrisey — aims to see the state increase its power capacity from the current 15 gigawatt generating capacity to 50 gigawatts by 2050. Morrisey said increased generation is necessary so the PJM — the massive power grid network that West Virginia feeds into — can meet estimated future demands.
Morrisey noted that, by 2045, it’s estimated that there will be a 70 gigawatt increase in peak load demand from the PJM, which serves West Virginia along with 12 other states. Meanwhile, he said, it’s projected that about 40 GW of the PJM’s generating capacity may be retired by 2030.
“Within the next 20 years PJM will likely need 110 GW of new generation capacity just to keep pace with demand growth and aging retirements. Currently, very few states within PJM can produce enough power to meet their own needs, much less export power to other states. West Virginia is one of those states,” Morrisey said. “[W]hile West Virginia is a national leader in per-capita electricity exports, we lack the existing generation capacity to meet future needs.”
To reach his goal of 50 gigawatt generating capacity, Morrisey said the state will prioritize growing its “stable baseload generation over renewables” through continued reliance on coal and natural gas as well as nuclear energy.
“Baseload generation from coal, natural gas and nuclear are critical to our way of life,” Morrisey said. “It provides a stable backbone to the grid, ensuring there is always a dependable supply of electricity.”
West Virginia currently has no nuclear energy developments operating. In 2022, however, lawmakers passed a bill repealing the state’s previous ban on nuclear energy, paving the way for future generation.
According to the Nuclear Energy Institute, West Virginia has five “multiple unit small modular reaction plants” that are scheduled to be in operation by 2025. Appalachian Power, the state’s largest electric company, is currently in the process of creating a small modular reactor in Virginia.
Morrisey said that he not only wants to keep the state’s current coal plants operational, but he also plans to explore options for newly created coal-generated power plants.
“West Virginia has numerous coal plants that have powered this country for decades. We need these plants to remain operational,” Morrisey said. “… We will never turn our backs on our existing coal plants and we will work with the federal government to pursue new coal-fired generation.”
Most of the state’s existing coal plants were commissioned decades ago and upgraded since then to remain operational. No new large coal-fired power plants have been commissioned in West Virginia or elsewhere in the United States in over 10 years.
Morrisey said West Virginia’s coal industry has been a “cornerstone of electricity generation” and has helped ensure “affordable and reliable power” in the state.
According to a 2022 review of electric utilities across the country, West Virginians paid the third highest total household electricity costs as a percentage of their income. Alabama and Mississippi, according to the study from the consumer advocacy group Citizens Utility Board of Illinois, were the only states where prices outpaced that of the Mountain State.
National security and the race for artificial intelligence, data center developments
Morrisey’s remarks heavily focused on threats facing the U.S. from China, Russia and elsewhere. Namely, he said that “energy is being used by our adversaries to threaten the American way of life.”
“China, Russia and Iran are three of the largest energy producing countries in the world and three of our nation’s biggest adversaries,” Morrisey said. “They are coordinating diplomatically, militarily, and economically to weaken American influence and build an alternative global order.“
Specifically, Morrisey said, the country needs to ensure it is competing with and protecting itself from China, which is a massive coal-fired power generator and “dominates” mineral supply chains.
“China is positioning itself to be the global leader of data centers and is investing in technology to encourage the flow of critical data to China instead of to the United States,” Morrisey said. “America can either find a way to dramatically increase its power production, or China will eclipse our nation in a technological battle that will undermine our national security.”
Data centers, Morrisey continued, are central to this “battle.” He said the state has partnered with Oak Ridge National Laboratory to assist with “crafting our data center development strategy.”
But several data centers are already proposed to be developed in West Virginia. Permits for some have already been approved. Several of these data centers will be powered by “microgrids,” which operate separate from existing utilities. This was made possible during the 2025 legislative session, where lawmakers passed House Bill 2014 allowing these microgrids to be established.
That legislation also included language to stop localities from enforcing zoning laws and other ordinances — like ones for noise and light pollution — against the developments.
From Tucker County to the state’s Southern Coalfields, residents have started organizing in an attempt to stop these developments. They’re worried about how they will impact their communities through unhealthy emissions and massive water consumption, which they fear will threaten their own water supplies.
Morrisey said Wednesday that the state needs to “ensure” that the “rapid innovation and demand” from data centers does not “negatively impact” residents. He did not outline what those negative impacts would be or how they would be avoided.
Environmental advocates decry lack of renewable energy in state strategy While Morrisey said that every kind of energy needs to be embraced in order to meet electricity demand, he said the place for renewable energy — like solar and wind — is limited.
He cited the state’s lack of “flat land” and a study showing that West Virginia, on average, does not have a high number of “annual sunlight hours.”
Solar power, generally, does not need year-round sunlight to create power. When electricity is generated from solar, it can be stored in batteries for use on overcast days and at night.
Shawn Phillips, with the West Virginia Citizen Action Group, said it was insulting to hear Morrisey call West Virginia’s energy “affordable” and coal “common sense” since power bills in the state continue to climb. Meanwhile, largely under Republican leadership, West Virginia has refused to invest in or grow its renewable energy sector.
Just this year, lawmakers proposed legislation to prohibit all wind power projects, establish new taxes for electricity from wind and solar projects, limit the number of wind projects allowed in a year, eliminate all subsidies for renewable energy projects, and increase taxes on wind turbines.
Current policies ban community solar, which allow residents and businesses to join a nearby solar project and lower their electricity prices from utilities. Bills to repeal this ban have repeatedly failed at the Legislature.
Phillips said that if West Virginia wants to make energy affordable and reliable, the state needs to explore its options with renewable energy forms.
“Coal is an unreliable fuel — it’s aging, breaking down, and driving prices up,” Phillips said. “Renewables are the fastest, cheapest, and most dependable sources we can build today. Fossil fuels don’t just drain wallets — they poison our air and water. Propping them up means West Virginians pay twice: once on their bills, and again with their health.”
Jillian Welsh, communications coordinator for the state Environmental Council, echoed Phillips’ points. If energy affordability is the goal, Welsh said, then “renewables have to be front and center.”
“Wind, solar and [battery] storage are the fastest, cheapest resources to build, and leaving them out makes [Morrisey’s] plan obsolete on day one,” Welsh said. “Chasing ‘50 by 50’ by tripling coal, gas and nuclear is a recipe for higher bills and dirtier air — not progress.”
Welsh noted that Morrisey did not once mention the growing impacts of climate change in the region or any move to cut carbon emissions, which can threaten residents’ health and contribute to climate change.
West Virginia is already home to the ninth highest emitter of greenhouse gases in the nation, according to data from the Environmental Protection Agency. As a whole, the state was the 12th highest emitter nationally for greenhouse gases in 2023.
Currently proposed natural gas power plants would contribute more emissions into the atmosphere. In Mingo County, two proposed methane-powered plants would become the state’s third and fourth largest power plants once built, behind only the John E. Amos plant and the Harrison Power Station. Those power plants, if approved, are planned to power two data centers and an ammonium plant.
As they would operate as microgrids, local governments would have no say or power over their operations.
“Communities get no say over whether they want massive new plants in their backyards. There’s barely a nod [in Morrisey’s address] to protecting air, water and health — and not a word on mountaintop removal,” Welsh said. “And while the governor warns about China, he ignores the fact that China is leading a solar revolution that’s making energy cheaper. At the same time, West Virginians are being told to foot the bill for outdated, polluting power.”
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