West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey wants to build new coal plants and triple his state’s electric capacity to feed data centers across the eastern U.S.
The Republican aims to boost West Virginia’s electrical generation capacity to 50 gigawatts by 2050, compared to roughly 15 GW today, via a rapid expansion of coal- and gas-fired power plants. Morrisey calls the plan “50 by 50.”
It’s the latest declaration by Republicans — and some Democrats — that the U.S. must leverage fossil fuel energy to head off a supply crunch between spiking energy demand and the retirement of older, less efficient coal plants. The trend raises questions about the future of the U.S. power sector, a significant contributor to the country’s planet-warming emissions.
The power sector saw a boom in renewables under the Biden administration; last year, wind and solar power eclipsed coal power for the first time. The Trump administration has since targeted pollution regulations and clean energy subsidies.
