West Virginia: Most Coal Reliant State Struggles Amid Green Power Push -

"West Virginia is most dependent on coal for electricity and among the least dependent on renewables."

Why this is important: As renewables increasingly produce America’s electrical power, West Virginia has resisted those national plans. While coal-fired electrical generation is about 19.3 percent nationally, it is more than 89 percent in West Virginia. Coincidentally, West Virginia is the third largest coal mining state. It also has one of the lowest levels of renewable electric generation at 6.2 percent. Nationally, the states that produce the most coal, burn the most for electrical generation as it’s the cheapest fuel source. Time will tell if renewables begin making a bigger impact in West Virginia, but WV Senator Joe Manchin recently supported the Appalachian Regional Commission’s POWER program, which targets federal resources to help communities and regions affected by job losses in coal mining and coal power plant operations in the changing energy sector.