WVU Law Center for Energy and Sustainable Development

11/05/2023

RIP, Richard Stewart. Such an impressive career, and of great service to our nation and our planet.

With great sadness, we write to share the news that Dick Stewart, University Professor and John Edward Sexton Professor of Law, died yesterday, November 3, 2023. It is no exaggeration to say that his death marks the passing of a giant in the law whose transformational influence on his field, and on....

07/18/2023

This excellent article by Quenton King points out that although West Virginia’s history of fossil fuel extraction has contributed mightily to the climate change impacts we are seeing now, West Virginians have largely escaped the consequences.

For many West Virginians, the hazy skies combined with the recent heat wave may be the first or most concrete example of the layered effects of climate change.

04/08/2023

"U.S. utilities, all of which are engaged in long-term generation planning and capital spending budgets, have been finalizing their energy portfolio decisions. Most plans [except in West Virginia] now include deep cuts or a complete phaseout in coal use (if they still have any), big buildouts of wind, solar, and battery storage, and a reliance on existing gas generation plants."

Coal use by U. S. electric-power producers is falling quickly after a short-lived post-pandemic bump April 3, 2023 (IEEFA) — The United States is quickly approaching an electricity sector milestone: in 2026, half of the coal-fired generation capacity will have closed since it peaked in 2011, accor...

04/01/2023

The latest figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration show that Kentucky is dead last among states for wind and solar production in the United States. And while state officials note an uptick in the last couple of years in proposed utility-scale solar power projects, Kentucky experienced what could be described as a "lost decade" of renewable energy investment, while wind and solar power have soared in other states—including some other coal states.

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Andy McDonald recalls a decade-old Kentucky legislative hearing on an energy diversification bill with the same sense of frustration that he felt back then, when he testified before a panel of lawmakers who were mostly coal industry loyalists. McDonald, a clean energy advocate and ...

03/13/2023

Fossil-fueled plants are expected to make up just 16 percent of new capacity additions completed in 2023, based on January data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Carbon-free power plants are on track to deliver 84 percent of new capacity — that includes solar, wind, nuclear and battery storage. That’s a larger share than last year, when clean power plants made up 78 percent of new capacity.

Solar, wind, nuclear and grid batteries will account for nearly all power plant construction, with batteries beating gas for the first time.

03/09/2023

Average winter temperatures across the United States have increased by 3.2°F since 1970, according to an analysis from Climate Central, a nonpartisan research and communications group.

About 80% of the U.S. now has at least seven more winter days with above-normal temperatures compared to 1970, per a new analysis.

03/06/2023

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a bill last month that took away the ability of local governments to limit or ban wind and solar power, a measure that follows similar actions in California and New York.

Two years ago, Illinois had adopted a landmark clean energy law that called for building vast amounts of renewable power. At the same time, 15 counties with some of the most land available for wind and solar had passed, or were about to pass, restrictions on new development that made the state’s g...

02/28/2023

We have the largest field of teams ever for our 13th Annual Energy & Sustainability Moot Court Competition. We still need judges for our preliminary rounds on Thursday and Friday. If you are a lawyer and interested in judging a round or two of oral arguments, please send an email to [email protected].

Law students from across the country will travel to Morgantown to participate in the 13th annual National Energy and Sustainability Moot Court Competition, hosted by the College of Law March 2-4.

02/17/2023

This new report by Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) shows the positive impacts for West Virginia from the Inflation Reduction Act: $16 billion in new investment and 6,000 new jobs.

RMI uncovers the surprising, transformative benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act and clean energy for US states.

01/31/2023

A new report from Energy Innovation Policy & Technology has confirmed what we have been saying for a few years now: every coal plant that’s currently in operation in West Virginia could be replaced with wind and solar at a lower cost. Thanks to the incentives under the Inflation Reduction Act, more than 99% of coal power across the U.S. is more expensive than new wind and solar. A new “energy community” bonus tax credit means renewables built near existing coal plants are more economic than ever, providing new opportunities for coal communities across the country as the energy transition continues.

According to Energy Innovation Policy & Technology, every coal plant that’s currently in operation in West Virginia could be replaced with wind and solar at a lower cost. According to Energy Innovation Policy & Technology, every coal plant that’s currently in operation in West Virginia could be ...

01/30/2023

Cutting-Edge Intellectual Interviews

12/28/2022

Notwithstanding the generous support for the nuclear industry in the Inflation Reduction Act, it remains a very challenging environment for developing new nuclear production in the U.S. At least the Vogtle plants in Georgia will be coming on line soon, at a cost of $30 billion--more than double its initial price tag--and six years behind schedule.

Nuclear plants big and small are getting support from the feds. Still, problems persist — TerraPower can't source fuel, Oklo and NuScale are tangled in red tape, and more.