West Virginia (WOAY) A new Sierra Club report is giving three West Virginia electric utilities failing grades for their use of fossil fuels.
The organization’s sixth annual “Dirty Truth Report” gives Appalachian Power, MonPower and Wheeling Power an “F,” with each receiving zero out of 100 points.
The report evaluates utilities based on coal plant retirements, planned natural gas development and renewable energy additions.
The Sierra Club says the three West Virginia utilities operate seven aging coal plants and collectively have more than 10,000 megawatts of existing coal and gas generation.
The report also says the utilities are planning to add more than 2,000 megawatts of new natural gas generation in West Virginia by 2035.
Sierra Club officials say the utilities should instead invest more in renewable energy, which they argue could help lower costs and emissions.
The utilities were not quoted in the report, and the findings reflect the Sierra Club’s assessment of their energy plans.
