West Virginia says no to Biden's solar panel push: State's billionaire coal ... trends now
West Virginia's governor has rejected a bill that would have expanded the use of solar energy to thousands of residents, saying it would hurt the state's coal industry.
Republican Jim Justice vetoed the HB 5228 bill, which was passed by the House and Senate, because it would 'endanger' the nation's energy security and put coal miners out of work.
The state hosts the second-largest coal industry in the nation and annually provides 84,000 tons of coal-fueled energy to the US.
While Justice may have his citizens in mind when be vetoed the bill, his family owns more than 100 coal mines in West Virginia and many are struggling to stay alive.
West Virginia Governor Jim Justice vetoed a bill to expand an existing solar energy farm, claiming it would cost consumers more than coal-fueled energy
The HB 5228 bill would have expanded West Virginia 's solar plants that fuel the state's electrical utilities from 50 megawatts (MW) to 100 MW, which would power 17,300 homes
The HB 5228 bill would have expanded West Virginia's solar plants that fuel the state's electrical utilities from 50 megawatts (MW) to 100 MW.
A 50 MW solar farm could generate enough electricity to power between 10,000 homes while 100 MW would increase the range to power 17,300 homes, according to MarketWatch.
Currently, coal-fired plants supply over 90 percent of electricity generation to citizens and businesses of West Virginia.
The six Republicans and three Democrats who sponsored the bill argued that by created a program to develop renewable energy would lead to a rise in economic development, increase jobs and lower electricity costs.
And the bill passed the House 61-36 and the Senate 32-1.
Despite Justice's claims that solar energy will impact the working man and increase costs for West Virginians, the governor built his business empire on the coal industry, and state financial disclosures show his family owns more than 100 businesses.
However, his businesses are facing hard times and struggling to pay their bills, prompting a string of lawsuits that have ordered the Justice family's coal companies to stop mining activities.
Yet in his veto letter, Justice expressed concerns that passing the bill would raise energy costs for consumers and could 'further endanger our nation's energy security and put West Virginians at the mercy of the national power grid to ensure we keep the lights on at home,' Justice wrote in a letter announcing his decision.
Justice claimed that expanding renewable energy infrastructures in place of coal-fueled energy would encourage companies to turn to out-of-state alternatives that would raise the energy costs for consumers, although he did not specify how.
'The ripple effect of such drastic and rapid change could lead to West Virginians paying more on their power bills, as these entities try to pass their
