West Virginia Department of Commerce West Virginia Division of Energy - Programs

OUR PROGRAMS

Fossil energy

• Energy summits: Energy summits sponsored by the West Virginia Governor’s Office and the West Virginia Department of Commerce bring together energy experts at Stonewall Resort in Roanoke, W.Va. To view presentations from each summit, visit our energy summits section.
• Clean-coal technologies: The West Virginia Division of Energy advances the application of clean-coal technologies in West Virginia. Additionally, coal-to-liquid plants support technologies that will enable coal to better address the nation’s energy needs.
• Office of Coalfield Community Development: This unit of the West Virginia Division of Energy works to advance local economies through the reuse of surface-mined sites.

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Renewable energy

• Wind, biofuels, solar:
  • West Virginia has the most significant wind energy resources in the East. The West Virginia Division of Energy’s wind program supports the development of detailed maps of West Virginia wind resources and interacts with landowners and developers. The program supports the continued work of the West Virginia Wind Working Group, an annual gathering of wind energy developers.
  • The biofuels program has focused on identifying wood resources for energy applications, such as wood pellets, wood use in industrial boilers and electric generation opportunities.
  • Solar energy represents conceivably the single largest source of energy. Solar energy opportunity has been estimated at 1.5 million barrels of oil per year for every square kilometer. The West Virginia Division of Energy sponsors biennial solar conferences at Shepherd University.
• West Virginia Clean State Program: The program, West Virginia's Clean Cities coalition, promotes alternative fuels and vehicles. Biodiesel-fueled school buses and hydrogen fueling are examples of current efforts.
• Recycling: The West Virginia Recycling Directory, updated annually online, lists 500 West Virginia recyclers, the materials accepted and hours of operation. Community-based and commercial recycling facilities are covered.

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Energy efficiency

• Industries of the Future-West Virginia: IOF-WV is a state-level technical assistance initiative that interacts with the U.S. Department of Energy Industries of the Future Program to provide energy-related assistance to energy-intensive industries.
• Student Energy Intern Program: West Virginia University (WVU) and WVU Institute of Technology provide senior-level student teams to address energy issues for businesses through the Projects with Industry Program. Industrial assessments and walk-through energy audits are also provided to industries that participate in the IOF-WV Program. The West Virginia Division of Energy recruits project participation.
• Center for Building Energy Use: With engineering expertise from West Virginia University, the Center for Building Energy Use focuses on building energy efficiency and identifying energy opportunities at public schools in the northern and southern halves of the state.
• Building Professionals Energy Training Program: This program sponsors energy code training to West Virginia's building community, providing the latest information on energy efficient construction.
• Energy saving information: The West Virginia Division of Energy promotes energy saving for West Virginia residents. As an ENERGY STAR^® partner, the division encourages the use of products such as compact fluorescent lights, which can save West Virginians money.

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