West Virginians for Energy Freedom urges public to tell PSC: Put Ratepayers First
Charleston, WV - West Virginians for Energy Freedom (WV4EF) is urging residents across the state to speak out against proposed Public Service Commission (PSC) rules that could increase electric bills by requiring utilities to run higher-cost power plants even when less expensive electricity is available on the regional market.
The proposed rules stem from legislation passed in 2025. House Bill 2014 directed the PSC to develop rules related to coal supplies and electric system planning. . While the legislation primarily focuses on data centers and microgrids, the proposed rules address utility power plants and could result in West Virginia customers paying significantly more for electricity by prioritizing utility-owned generation over lower-cost power available from the market.
Under the proposed rules:
Utilities could be encouraged to operate coal-fired power plants even when doing so costs more than purchasing electricity from the regional wholesale market.
Customers could be required to absorb those additional costs through higher monthly electric bills.
Utilities would have less incentive to seek the lowest-cost electricity available, despite operating as regulated monopolies whose customers have no choice of provider.
WV4EF says the proposal comes at a time when many families are already facing rising utility bills and can least afford unnecessary increases.
"West Virginians are already struggling with some of the highest energy burdens in the nation," said Emmett Pepper, Energy Efficient West Virginia Policy Director. "Monopoly utilities should buy the least expensive power available to reliably serve their customers," Pepper said. "If electricity can be purchased more cheaply on the market, ratepayers should benefit from those savings, not be forced to subsidize uneconomic decisions."
The coalition is encouraging residents to submit comments to the PSC asking commissioners to reject any rules that would require or encourage utilities to generate more expensive electricity simply because they own the power plant.
"The PSC has consistently said its mission is to ensure safe, reliable, and reasonably priced utility service," added Jim Kotcon, from the Sierra Club, a WV4EF coalition partner. "These proposed rules move in the opposite direction by making West Virginia ratepayers lose, out of state customers win, and coal barons are laughing all the way to the bank."
Residents can submit comments through the PSC’s website at https://www.psc.state.wv.us/scripts/onlinecomments/default.cfm or WV4EF's online action center by visiting https://www.energyfreedomwv.org/take-action.