By CAITY COYNE
Charleston Gazette-Mail
(Gazette-Mail photo by F. Brian Ferguson)
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Experts in the solar industry hope that soon West Virginia will take advantage of the thousands of acres of flat land that sits undeveloped on former mine sites throughout the coalfields — north and south — to become competitive in the renewable energy market.
On Saturday, dozens of solar energy advocates and experts converged at the Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center for the fourth-annual Solar Congress, where they discussed potential for the Mountain State as the demand for renewable energy sources grows nationally.
Joey James, a senior strategist at Morgantown-based Downstream Strategies, said an integral part of diversifying West Virginia’s economy and recruiting new industries and companies in coming years is to have more options available for renewable energy sources.
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