The City of Morgantown, home to West Virginia University and one of the state’s 10 largest cities, unanimously passed a resolution urging the state legislature to legalize on-site Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs).
The Morgantown City Manager will send the resolution of support to the Senate President, the Speaker of the House, and the city’s local legislators. Senate Bill 409 and House Bill 2911 would enable on-site PPAs.
PPAs are a widely available method to finance distributed energy generation projects such as rooftop solar panels or landfill biogas. These third-party agreements are legal in at least 26 states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico. States including Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Georgia offer PPAs, but they are NOT available in West Virginia.
The resolution cites the advantages PPAs would give the city and state by:
Helping residents, nonprofits, and municipalities have more control over their energy bills with zero upfront costs;
Creating much-needed local jobs; and
Attracting employers – especially those with a renewable energy mandate – to locate and invest in West Virginia.
Thanks to the Morgantown City Council for again leading the way in supporting energy policies that will help West Virginia move forward.
Interested in drafting a resolution for your city/town council or county commission to consider? Email us for details.
Want to join our #PPAs4WV campaign? Click here to send an email to your representatives in the WV Senate and House of Representatives.