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Committee advances four bills on coal policy, marketing and energy planning; reports substitutes to full Senate

Senate Energy, Industry and Mining Committee · January 29, 2026
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Summary

The Senate Energy, Industry and Mining Committee agreed to committee substitutes for SB20, SB25, SB131 and SB424 and voted to report them to the full Senate, with SB131 and the others receiving secondary referrals as noted; SB25 would create a coal marketing program funded by DMV license-plate transfers and SB424 expands site identification for coke production and steelmaking.

The Senate Energy, Industry and Mining Committee completed consideration of multiple committee substitutes and voted to report them to the full Senate with committee recommendations and secondary referrals.

SB20: The committee agreed to the committee substitute for Senate Bill 20 and moved to report it to the full Senate with a recommendation that it pass and a first referral to the Committee on Government Organization. (Committee action; no amendments.)

SB25: Counsel explained SB25 would create the West Virginia Coal Marketing Program under the governor's office, establish the West Virginia Coal Marketing Program Fund, and direct the DMV to transfer fees collected for Friends of Coal specialty license plates (less production costs) into the fund. The substitute removes a prior $1,000,000 appropriation requirement, leaving funding decisions to the budget process. The committee agreed to the substitute and moved to report SB25 to the full Senate with a first referral to the Committee on Finance.

SB131: (See separate article.) The committee agreed to report the committee substitute for SB131 to the full Senate with a recommendation that it pass and referral first to the Committee on Finance.

SB424: Counsel explained a committee substitute to rename and expand the "Coal-Fired Grid Stabilization and Security Act" to the "Establishing Affordable Electricity and Economic Growth Act of 2026," adding a focus on coke production and steelmaking. The Division of Economic Development would be directed to identify economically viable sites near metallurgical coal deposits and rail, subject to Division of Air Quality constraints, and report potential sites to the Joint Committee on Government Finance by December 31, 2026, with annual follow-ups through 2032. The committee agreed to the substitute and moved to report it to the full Senate with a first referral to the Committee on Finance.

Procedure: The committee took no roll-call tallies in the transcript; the chair declared the motions adopted after members said "aye." No separate amendments to the substitutes were adopted during the session.

The committee also welcomed newly appointed Senator Trenton Barnhart as a new member and adjourned.