Senate 32

SENATE RESOLUTION 32

(By Senators Rose, Chapman, Taylor, Roberts, Barnhart, Hamilton, Phillips, Garcia, Hart, Oliverio, Z. Maynard, Thorne, Charnock, Clements, Rucker, Bartlett, Tarr, and Helton)

[Introduced February 10, 2026]

Protecting West Virginia coal jobs, coal power, and coal families.

Whereas, Coal miners, coal fired power plants, and coal communities are vital to West Virginia’s economy, energy security, and way of life; and

Whereas, West Virginia’s coal fired power plants supply the majority of the state’s electricity and provide essential baseload reliability for homes, businesses, and industry; and

Whereas, Meaningful utilization of these plants—defined as operating at a minimum annual capacity factor of 69 percent—is necessary to maintain grid stability, protect ratepayers, and sustain thousands of family supporting coal jobs; and

Whereas, Utility decisions increasingly threaten the future of West Virginia’s coal units and the jobs they sustain; and

Whereas, West Virginians should not bear higher electricity costs for projects that undermine the state’s workforce or weaken its energy security; and

Whereas, Long-term, stable, local employment is essential to the prosperity of coal families and the communities that depend on them; and

Whereas, West Virginia’s prosperity must remain in West Virginia, not in the hands of outside industries seeking to extract wealth while leaving communities behind; therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate:

That the Senate hereby protects West Virginia coal jobs, coal power, and coal families; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Senate affirms the following commitments:

1. To protect the continued operation and meaningful utilization of West Virginia’s coal fired power plants, ensuring they operate at no less than a 69 percent annual capacity factor;

2. To defend coal miners, coal jobs, and coal communities, and oppose any action—regulatory, financial, or operational—that risks mine closures or job losses;

3. To guarantee coal remains central to West Virginia’s energy mix, recognizing that reductions in coal generation directly reduce coal employment and harm local economies;

4. To put West Virginians first and to prevent ratepayers from being burdened with higher costs for projects that diminish in state jobs or energy reliability;

5. To prioritize long term, stable, local jobs over temporary or out of state contracting that weakens West Virginia’s workforce; and

6. To stand with coal families and ensure that prosperity generated in West Virginia stays in West Virginia, rejecting efforts by outside entities to extract wealth without reinvesting in our communities; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Senate commits to supporting legislation, regulation, and oversight that preserve coal jobs, protect coal fired power, and defend the families and communities who depend on coal for their support.