Energy

This bill directs West Virginia's Office of Energy to develop a comprehensive energy policy and plan covering coal, natural gas, nuclear, renewable, hydrogen, and geothermal sources. It transfers the Office of Coalfield Community Development into the Office of Energy, eliminates outdated duties like the annual coalfield report, and grants the Office new authority to hold stakeholder meetings, set energy-ready community criteria, and designate project sites. The legislation also repeals the 2023 Coal Fired Grid Stabilization Act, merging its provisions into a new "Comprehensive Grid Stabilization and Energy Security Act." The Office must submit annual reports on its findings and develop strategies for multiple energy sectors, including state energy security planning. This restructures state energy policy to embrace diverse energy sources while focusing on stability, cost, and security.

HB 4026 requires West Virginia electric utilities to include detailed analyses of advanced transmission technologies in their integrated resource plans filed with the Public Service Commission. This affects all utilities operating in the state that submit these plans, including major providers like American Electric Power and Dominion Energy. The bill mandates comprehensive assessments of technologies such as advanced conductors, dynamic line rating, and power flow controls, covering their economic feasibility, technical viability, potential benefits, and deployment schedules. These analyses must address how such technologies improve grid efficiency, reliability, and safety for customers. The requirement applies to all new or updated resource plans filed after July 1, 2026.