By Mike Tony, Charleston Gazette-Mail
The West Virginia House of Delegates has overwhelmingly approved legislation that would expand West Virginia Public Service Commission jurisdiction to cover an energy source not yet ready for large-scale deployment: advanced nuclear reactors.
In a 90-5 vote Thursday, the House passed House Bill 2205, sending it to the Senate for its consideration.
HB 2205 would require the PSC to develop rules to govern the issuance of permits for construction, use and retirement of advanced nuclear reactors in West Virginia. The PSC would have to establish and enforce those rules by July 1, per the bill.
The legislation continues the Legislature’s ramping up pursuit of in-state nuclear power development in recent years and followed a nuclear developer’s pitch to state lawmakers last week that downplayed concerns about cost overruns that have plagued the company.
