Requiring certain public or private entities that own, lease, or oversee water or electric supply utility to implement utility continuity rate credit program

SB 605 requires West Virginia municipalities and counties that own or lease water or electricity utilities to create a "Utility Continuity Rate Credit Program" starting July 1, 2025. Homeowners affected by qualifying outages (e.g., 24+ hour power/water disruptions or repeated shorter outages) can receive a credit equal to 50% of eligible purchases (like home generators or water tanks), capped at $2,500, applied monthly over 24 months. Utilities must approve or deny applications within 30 days, and cannot raise rates to offset the credit. The Public Service Commission oversees implementation, and the program applies only to customers who made qualifying purchases within 60 days of an outage.