By Mike Tony, Charleston Gazette-Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The House Energy and Manufacturing Committee on Tuesday advanced a bill to the full House to benefit the state’s struggling coal industry. The bill would allow utilities to apply to the state Public Service Commission for expedited recovery of costs for installing and maintaining environmental pollution control equipment.
Utilities currently finance environmental pollution control equipment costs through base rate cases. Energy-use groups fear that expedited cost recovery could cause rates to increase.
Proponents of House Bill 2959, which at Tuesday’s meeting included West Virginia Coal Association President Chris Hamilton, held that the legislation would help keep coal-fired power plants in environmental compliance and in service to the economic benefit of those who work at the plants and the communities where the plants are located.
“In these times of uncertainty, this bill and the expedited recovery provides a little more certainty and predictability to the process,” Hamilton said…