Climate Fast Facts: West Virginia

Climate & Energy Resources-4.1 0.7

• Latest Climate Science (Union of Concerned Scientists)
• Global Warming & West Virginia (National Wildlife Federation)
• Cost of Delay (Environmental Defense Fund)
• Meeting the International Clean Energy and Climate Change Challenges (The White House)

Jobs

The clean energy industry in West Virginia is ripe to become a centerpiece of the mountain state’s economy. The state could gain 10,000 jobs and about $800 million in investment revenue if $150 billion was invested in clean energy nationwide.

• Clean-Energy Investments Create Jobs in West Virginia (Center for American Progress/PERI)
• West Virginia: Green Prosperity and Poverty Reduction (Natural Resources Defense Council)
• Clean Energy and Climate Policies Lead to Economic Growth in West Virginia (Environmental Entrepreneurs)

Opportunity

West Virginia could realize as many as 1,092 jobs in the solar and wind industries with a $100 billion clean energy investment in the next two years, and the state has 3.7 dry tons of biomass waiting to be tapped as a clean resource.

• Charting a New Path for West Virginia’ Electricity Generation and Use (National Wildlife Federation)

• The Clean Energy Economy: West Virginia (Pew Center)
• Boosting the Economy and Conserving Wildlife (National Wildlife Federation)
• The 2009 Report on the Future of The South (Southern Growth Policy Board)
• Renewable Energy Works: West Virginia
  

Cut Costs

The average family in West Virginia would save $9.03 per month on their energy bills and $12.43 per month on vehicle fuel costs if the American Clean Energy and Security Act was enacted.

• Climate Bill Cuts Electricity Bills (Natural Resources Defense Council)
• Climate-Protection Policies Cut Fuel Bills (Natural Resources Defense Council)
• Summary of Competitiveness Provisions in ACES (Center for Clean Air Policy)
• Carbon Cap Critics Predict Healthy Economy in West Virginia under Cap-and-Trade (PERI/UMASS)
• Clean Energy, Green Jobs: A National Renewable Electricity Standard Will Boost the Economy and Protect the Environment (Union of Concerned Scientists)

Climate Consequences

West Virginia will not be exempt from global climate change. Much of it’s eastern hardwood forests will likely convert to pines and scrub oaks and could decline as much as 10 percent. While an earlier snow melt and less snowfall will cost the state’s vibrant winter sports economy.

• Climate Change in West Virginia (NextGeneration Earth)
• Global Climate Change Impacts on the U.S.: Northeast Assessment (Union of Concerned Scientists)
• Hotter Fields, Lower Yields: Global Warming's Impact on Agriculture (Environment America)
• Safeguarding our Natural Resources from Global Warming (National Wildlife Federation)
• A Preliminary Analysis of the Effects of HR 2454 on U.S. Agriculture (USDA)

• Climate Change in the United States: The Prohibitive Costs of Inaction (Union of Concerned Scientists)

State Action

While Congress debates climate and energy legislation on the Hill, West Virginia is considering enacting a carbon capture and storage law.

• Repower West Virginia (Alliance for Climate Protection)
• State Action on Global Warming (Pew Center on Climate Change) (see maps on state actions)

Regulating Carbon Markets

• Five Reasons Why Trading Allowances Will Help Meet Our Climate Objectives (Natural Resources Defense Council)
• The Senate’s Role in Getting Carbon Market Regulation Right (Natural Resources Defense Council)

News and Opinion

• Coal's Future Wagered on Carbon Capture (The Washington Post)