In 2025, Governor Patrick Morrisey announced the 50 by 50 energy plan, a move to increase the state’ s energy capacity from 15 gigawatts to 50 gigawatts by 2050. As part of this initiative, West Virginia will begin following an all-of-theabove approach to energy. This means instead of prioritizing one energy source, the state will use every appropriate means of generation available to fuel its power needs.
Nicholas Preservati, deputy secretary for West Virginia Department of Commerce and director of the West Virginia Office of Energy, says since not every source of generation is fit for energy production in West Virginia, the all-ofthe-above approach will embrace all resources that are economically viable.
“ Each state should be able to choose the energy sources that work best for them,” Preservati says.“ In West Virginia, we see nuclear playing a pivotal role in the future and that West Virginia’ s baseload generation will be complemented by renewables where available.”
While this approach will make use of the state’ s multiple energy assets, Chris Hamilton, president and CEO of the West Virginia Coal Association, emphasizes the importance of West Virginia’ s most notable resource: coal. Hamilton explains that coal-based power generation was once responsible for America’ s economic dominance and believes it should still be utilized today.
“ West Virginia runs on nearly 90 % coal-based power, and that gets us some of the most secure and affordable electricity in the country,” he says.“ The most coal-dependent state in America also happens to be one of the best-positioned states when a cold snap hits or demand spikes. That’ s not a coincidence.”
The West Virginia Coal Association has shifted its focus to modernizing the coal-fired power plants currently operating in West Virginia.
“ Comparing modernization to new generation buildout at today’ s capital costs isn’ t even a fair fight,” Hamilton says,“ So for us at the association, the plan sharpened the focus considerably. The 50 by 50 plan gave that work a deadline and the sense of purpose it needed.”
Last year, Morrisey also announced a $ 1.44 billion investment in refurbishing coal-fired power plants, allowing for significant upgrades and the possibility to expand West Virginia’ s dispatchable generation capacity without the high cost of a new buildout. Additionally, the Pleasants Power Station in Pleasants County, which has been operating at reduced capacity, is working toward full power generation again.
Frontieras North America is also in the process of building an advanced carbon technology facility in the state, using coal to help manufacture commercial products.
Hope Gas’ Role in Reliable Energy
WATT Fuel Cell Corporation and Hope Gas are partnering to create a Hope Gas customer program for the WATT HOME fuel cell system, a device that uses natural gas already flowing through the home to generate electricity on site. This collaboration will make 7,250 fuel cells available to Hope Gas customers across the state in the next three years.
The fuel cell system, a small, portable power generator that operates indoors, offers families a dependable backup power option that will keep their essential services running in times of need. This technology will serve communities, namely in rural areas, with better energy security.
“ Hope Gas chose to partner with WATT because its technology aligns directly with our mission to deliver reliable, resilient energy solutions powered by West Virginia’ s abundant natural gas resources,” says Jeffrey Nehr, senior vice president of business development at Hope Gas.
The device is quiet, activates automatically during outages and operates more efficiently than traditional generators while using the same resource. Nehr says this results in a year-round, ready-to-go solution for families to gain control of their energy efficiency. He emphasizes the partnership’ s role in strengthening West Virginia’ s energy future and Hope Gas’ commitment to innovation.
“ Natural gas is a cornerstone of West Virginia’ s economy, and fuel cells allow us to use that resource in a cleaner, more efficient way,” he says.
With fuel cells producing electricity within the home, they also relieve stress to the traditional grid when demand is heavy as they don’ t rely on long transmission lines and centralized generation.
“ As more households adopt technologies like this, West Virginia benefits from a more flexible and resilient energy network, one that can better withstand storms, shorten outage durations and support a cleaner, more reliable energy future,” Nehr says.
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