The Public Service Commission of West Virginia has been at the forefront of discussions on the importance of having a reliable energy source for this nation.
While never downplaying the importance of all fuels, we consistently advocate for having energy that doesn’t falter when there’s no wind or no sun shining.
We’ve found that coal and natural gas, both abundant in the Mountain State, are reliable sources for powering electric generation plants.
In support of this idea, the administration in Washington declared a national energy emergency soon after it came into office.
As part of that initiative, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced it would fast-track approval for projects involving coal, gas, oil, and minerals on public lands. (May 30, 2025)
As a result, environmental reviews of permits that previously took a year to complete could be done in as few as two weeks.
More complicated environmental impact statements that usually take two years to complete could be done in four weeks.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum says the federal government intends to cut through unnecessary delays so it can fast-track the development of American energy and critical minerals.
And the administration has taken steps under the emergency declaration to promote fossil fuels in particular.
Just recently, the U.S. Supreme Court narrowed the scope of environmental review on some major energy projects under the National Environmental Policy Act. (May 31, 2025)
This law requires an agency to produce an environmental impact statement that must address significant effects expected to be caused by a project, and to suggest alternative ways of making a lesser impact.
In its unanimous ruling, the nation’s highest court reversed an appeals court decision.
The appeals court said the agency should have broadened its study to include environmental effects upstream and downstream of the project. The Supreme Court reversed that finding.
The court also said citizens could not use the courts to challenge the environmental effects beyond the immediate project at hand.
This decision is in line with the administration’s concern for energy independence and our use of fossil fuels to power this nation.
It remains important to all of us, as the demand for electric power continues to grow in this country, that we continue to have a reliable source for that energy.
These two matters should help us on the way to energy independence.
