Photo by GO-WV.
Powering the Nation
West Virginia’ s Energy Influence
MEGAN BEVINS
As one of the nation’ s leading energy exporters, West Virginia is using its abundant resources to position itself as a dominant force in the energy sector. While the Mountain State has already made a name for itself on a national scale in terms of coal production, new projects are underway to further expand its reach.
Nick Preservati, deputy secretary for the West Virginia Department of Commerce, explains that with the state’ s proximity to northeastern markets, it is a crucial supplier of natural gas, particularly during the winter when there is a risk of freezing temperatures and power outages. Preservati says natural gas storage fields are strategically located to meet this demand, and infrastructure is continually expanding.
“ New pipeline projects have been developed to transport natural gas from West Virginia’ s Marcellus and Utica Shale regions to markets in the Midwest,” Preservati says.“ These pipelines enhance the delivery of natural gas to power plants in states like Ohio, Pennsylvania and beyond.”
Charlie Burd, president of the Gas & Oil Association of West Virginia( GO-WV), mentions examples like the Morgantown Connector Project, operated by Hope Gas, which will run from Wadestown to Morgantown and then to Osage. He also describes an intrastate pipeline that is being developed to transport natural gas from the Tyler County area to Willow Island, where a former coal plant will use both coal and natural gas to produce hydrogen.
Burd says that West Virginia remains the fourth largest producer of natural gas in the country, with more than 3.2 trillion cubic feet of production in 2023.
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