West Virginia

Climate and Energy Polling in West Virginia:

• The latest Gallup poll reveals that at 64 percent, serious concern for global warming is at an eight-year high across the country.
• 54 percent of West Virginia adults understand global warming is already happening and a little less than half recognize that it is caused mostly by humans.
• A strong 75 percent support funding research into renewable energy resources while 67 percent favor regulating CO2 as a pollutant.

West Virginia’s Energy Profile:

• The Clean Power Plan (CPP) would require West Virginia to cut 36.8 percent of its power-sector emissions by 2030. In 2014, 95.5 percent of W.Va’s power came from coal-fired power plants.
• With 583 MW of installed wind capacity, West Virginia ranks 24th in the United States.  By comparison, the mountain state only has 3.4 MW of solar power — enough to power 300 homes.
• The state is one of the leading parties of the lawsuit against the Clean Power Plan and has suspended plans to prepare a state compliance plan.
• Since 2012, the number of operational coal mines in the state has fallen from 216 to 136 in 2015.

West Virginia is Vulnerable to Climate Change:

• The Northeast region is susceptible to heat waves, increased rain events and flash flooding.
• By 2050, southwest West Virginia could experience more than 60 additional days of above 90°F per year compared with last century.
• At present, 9 percent of West Virginia adults suffer from asthma. High levels of ground-level ozone and fine particulate matter common in coal plant emissions, both of which are produced in tandem with other greenhouse gases, are strongly linked to a rise in asthma attacks.
• Earlier this year, the state House of Delegates voted to block implementation of new science standards because they included lessons on climate change.