§5B-2F-2 Purpose; office of Director for Energy Development; director to be member of Public Energy Authority; division to develop energy policy and development plan; contents of energy policy and dev - West Virginia Statutes

§5B-2F-2. Purpose; office of Director for Energy Development; director to be member of Public Energy Authority; division to develop energy policy and development plan; contents of energy policy and development plan; and division to promote energy initiatives.
(a) Effective the first day of July, two thousand seven, the Division of Energy is created as a state agency under the Department of Commerce. The division may receive federal funds. The division shall be administered by a director, who shall be appointed by the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, and shall continue to serve until his or her successor is appointed and qualified as provided. The director shall be selected with special preference and consideration given to his or her training, experience, capacity and interest in energy policy and development activities.

(b) Creation of the division is intended to provide leadership for developing energy policies emphasizing the increased efficiency of energy use, the increased development and production of new and existing domestic energy sources, the increased awareness of energy use on the environment and the economy, dependable, efficient and economical statewide energy systems capable of supporting the needs of the state, increased energy self-sufficiency where the ratio of indigenous to imported energy use is increased, reduce the ratio energy consumption to economic activity and maintain low-cost energy. The energy policies and development plans shall also provide direction for the private sector.

(c) The director shall administer the daily operations of the Public Energy Authority provided under the provisions of chapter five-d of this code. The director shall also have authority over the Office of Coalfield Community Development, created by the provisions of article two-a of this chapter, and the energy efficiency program existing under the West Virginia Development Office which are hereby transferred to the division. The director shall effectuate coordination of these entities relative to the purposes provided in this article.

(d) The division shall develop an energy policy and shall report the same back to the Governor and the Joint Committee on Government and Finance before the first day of December, two thousand seven. The energy policy shall be a five-year plan setting forth the state's energy policies and shall provide a direction for the private sector. Prior to the expiration of the energy policy, the division shall begin review of the policy and submit a revised energy policy to the Governor and the Joint Committee on Government and Finance six months before the expiration of the policy.

(e) The director shall be a member of the Public Energy Authority and as such shall attend and participate in all offical meetings and public hearings conducted under the auspices of the authority.

(f) The division shall prepare and submit an annual energy development plan to the Governor and the Joint Committee on Government and Finance on or before the first day of December of each year. The development plan shall relate to the division's implementation of the energy policy and the activities of the division during the previous year. The development plan shall include any recommended legislation. The Public Energy Authority, the Office of Coalfield Community Development, the energy efficiency program, the Department of Environmental Protection and the Public Service Commission, in addition to their other duties prescribed by this code, shall assist the division and the director in the development of an energy policy and related development plans. The energy development plan shall set forth the plans for implementing the state's energy policy and shall provide a direction for the private sector. The energy development plan shall recognize the powers of the Public Energy Authority as to development and financing of projects under its jurisdiction and shall make such recommendations as are reasonable and practicable for the exercise of such powers.

(g) The division shall hold public hearings and meetings with notice to receive public input regarding proposed energy policies and development plans. The energy policy and development plans required by subsections (d) and (f) of this section shall address increased efficiency of energy use, traditional and alternative energy, water as a resource and a component of energy production, energy distribution systems, the siting of energy facilities, the increased development and production of new and existing domestic energy sources, increased awareness of energy use on the environment and the economy, energy infrastructure, the development and implementation of renewable, clean, technically innovative and advanced energy projects in this state. Projects may include, without limitation, solar and wind energy, low-impact hydro power, geothermal, biomass, landfill gas, fuel cells, renewable hydrogen fuel technologies, waste coal, coal mine methane, coal gasification to ultraclean fuels, solid waste to fuel grade ethanol and coal liquefaction technologies.

(h) The division may propose rules for legislative approval in accordance with the provisions of article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code designed to implement an energy policy and development plan in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.

(i) The energy policy and development plans required by subsections (d) and (f) of this section shall identify and report on the energy infrastructure in this state and include without limitation energy infrastructure related to protecting the state's essential data, information systems and critical government services in times of emergency, inoperativeness or disaster. In consultation with the Director of the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, the director of the division shall encourage the development of energy infrastructure and strategic resources that will ensure the continuity of governmental operations in situations of emergency, inoperativeness or disaster.

(j) In preparing or revising the energy policy and development plan, the division may rely upon internal staff reports or the advice of outside advisors or consultants and may procure such services with the consent of the Secretary of Commerce. The division may also involve national, state and local government leadership and energy experts.

(k) The division shall prepare an energy use database, including without limitation, end-use applications and infrastructure needs for different classes of energy users including residential, commercial and industrial users, data regarding the interdependencies and sources of electricity, oil, coal, water and gas infrastructure, data regarding energy use of schools and state-owned facilities and collect data on the impact of the energy policy and development plan on the decisions and strategies of energy users of the state.

(l) The division shall promote collaboration between the state's universities and colleges, private industry and nonprofit organizations to encourage energy research and leverage available federal energy research and development resources.

(m) The division shall promote initiatives to enhance the nation's energy security through research and development directed at transforming the state's energy resources into the resources that fuel the nation.

(n) The Performance Evaluation and Research Division of the Legislative Auditor's office shall perform an agency review of the Division of Energy in two thousand ten as part of its review of the Department of Commerce as set forth in article four, chapter ten of this code.