The West Virginia Division of Energy is responsible for the formulation and implementation of fossil, renewable and energy efficiency initiatives designed to advance energy resource development opportunities and provide energy services to businesses, communities and homeowners in West Virginia.
"Energy Summit: Advancing Domestic Resources in an era of Carbon Challenges," sponsored by the West Virginia Governor’s Office, the West Virginia Department of Commerce and the Southern States Energy Board, featured presentations on energy independence and security, carbon challenges, alternate fuels and coal resources. To view presentations from the summit, please click on the image below:
A primary goal of the division is the development of the West Virginia Energy Opportunities Document, a state energy plan. The plan promotes increased energy efficiency, traditional fossil energy forms and renewable energy. The plan was discussed at meetings with the West Virginia Public Energy Authority; public comments were received on the plan. Click here to view presentations from the Oct. 25, Sept. 27 and Aug. 23 hearings. Click the icon below to read the plan.
Ride Share Program. Due to rising gasoline costs and the number of state employees who commute each day to and from the capitol complex, the Ride Share Program, offered through the Energy Efficiency Program, serves as a means of financial savings to participating riders in addition to the conservation of one of our nation's energy resources.
Click here for a list of energy saving tips, including a link to an online home energy audit.
The ENERGY STAR® Change a Light, Change the World Campaign is a national challenge to encourage every American to help change the world, one light-one step-at a time. The campaign culminates in the fall around ENERGY STAR® Change a Light Day (the first Wednesday in October) with promotions running locally and nationally from October 1 through November 30. If every West Virginia household replaced just one 75-watt incandescent light with a 20-watt compact fluorescent lamp (CFL), the U.S. EPA estimates we could save more than $5 million annually in energy costs. Changing a Light can Change the World!
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The Clean Air Forum newsletter offers energy information from around the state. Click here to view issues of the newsletter.
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Follow the links below for details on each program.
- Alternative fuels. The West Virginia Clean State Program, working closely with the U.S. DOE Clean Cities Program, promotes alternate fuel vehicles.
Click here to see presentations from the West Virginia Friends of Biodiesel Conference. The conference brought together current and potential biodiesel users to spread knowledge about this renewable fuel.
- Building Professionals Energy Training Program. The West Virginia Energy Efficiency Program sponsors building code seminars to teach the latest codes and building technologies to local government officials and private-sector building professionals.
- Industrial assessment. This program provides industrial assessments to industries that participate in the Industries of the Future-West Virginia (IOF-WV) program.
- Industries of the Future-West Virginia (IOF-WV), a state-level technical assistance initiative, interacts with the U.S. Department of Energy Industries of the Future Program to provide assistance to energy-intensive industries. Teams from university engineering programs provide technical assistance through the Glass Industry Assistance Program and the Wood Industry Initiative Program. West Virginia University (WVU) and the WVU Institute of Technology provide senior-level student teams to address processing issues at industrial sites through the Projects with Industry program.
- The Lighting Grants Program has provided more than $400,000 for lighting improvements in schools, local governments and nonprofit hospitals. The 464 audits performed have identified $2.5 million in potential annual savings.
- Recycling. The West Virginia Recycling Directory, updated annually in print and on the Internet, lists 500 West Virginia recyclers.
- Renewable Energy (Solar, biofuels, wind).
Solar energy represents conceivably the single largest source of energy. Solar energy opportunity has been estimated at 1.5 million barrels of oil of energy per year for every square kilometer. Click here for more information about using solar energy in West Virginia.
The biofuels program is looking at energy uses for wood and other biomass resources.
The wind program has supported the development of a detailed map of West Virginia wind resources and the promotion of this valuable resource. Click here to see presentations from the 2006 and 2007 annual conferences of the West Virginia Wind Working Group.
- The Saving Energy in Public Schools program is developing a systematic approach to reducing energy use in West Virginia public schools.
- West Virginia ENERGY STAR® Program. ENERGY STAR® is a government-backed program helping businesses and individuals protect the environment through superior energy efficiency. Click here for a series of informational articles on saving money and energy in an average West Virginia home.
- Coalfield Community Development Program. The Coalfield Community Development Program provides assistance to communities and mining operators in the preparation of statements outlining the impacts of mining operations.
- West Virginia Public Energy Authority. The West Virginia Public Energy Authority promotes reliable and dependable markets for the state's coal, natural gas and other natural resources. Click here to view presentations made to the authority.
You also may find detailed information on West Virginia’s energy resources at the Energy Information Administration's state profile site.
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