Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., was recognized for her longstanding support of the state’s energy industries Wednesday in Charleston.

Capito, the ranking member of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, received the inaugural West Virginia Women in Energy “Woman of the Year” award during the Governor’s Energy Summit.

“Energy is something that is synonymous with the very name of our state. For generations, the resources our state is blessed with and our diligent, tireless workforce have kept lights on and our country on the move,” said Capito when accepting the award. “I have made it a central aspect of my career to support that tradition and find new and innovative ways to keep American energy generation right here in West Virginia.

“We must continue to generate the baseload power that our nation relies on, and you can be certain that I will always be an advocate for expanding that capacity in our state and supporting the men and women who make that possible.”

Prior to receiving the award, Capito participated in the summit’s “Women in Energy Breakfast” where she spoke to attendees about female empowerment and encouraged the women of the summit to support the next generation of West Virginia female leaders in the energy field.