Charleston, West Virginia: Coal Plant 69% Utilization Rule Passes Legislative Review; Framed as a Target, Not a Mandate
West Virginia's Legislative Rule-Making Review Committee on November 10 approved a set of power plant rules drafted by the state Public Service Commission, with the most watched provision — a 69% utilization rate for coal plants — characterized as an aspirational target rather than a hard mandate. The committee, made up of six senators and six delegates, reviewed rules stemming from the data center act passed in 2025, covering in-state plant generation, power market purchases and regulatory methods.
The Public Service Commission interprets the 69% figure as a level plants should strive to maintain the capability to reach, unless doing so would raise rates for residential and business customers. Data show no plant in the state actually reached 69% utilization in 2025. Republican Senator Brian Helton said the approach protects ratepayers: if reaching 69% is the most economical option for customers, plants should do it; if not, they need not force it. The rules next go to the full legislature when it reconvenes in January.
Source: West Virginia Pulse
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：西弗吉尼亚州议会大厦（查尔斯顿）。图片来源：Wikimedia Commons，Daniel G. Rego 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0。 Image: The West Virginia State Capitol in Charleston. Source: Wikimedia Commons, photo by Daniel G. Rego, CC BY-SA 4.0.
