In The News

Washington D.C. (WTRF) – The push towards green energy continues, but for a state famous for its coal, the prospect of a carbon-free energy sector could spell economic disaster for West Virginia. Mountain State lawmakers are trying to navigate this tricky situation, and some believe that a focus on nuclear power could be the answer. Unlike the nuclear reactors of the 60s and 70s, modern nuclear reactors are much safer and produce far less waste than in years past. West Virginia Senator... Read More

High-speed broadband will soon be available to another 22,000 households in Mercer, McDowell, Wyoming, Summers and Raleigh counties. That’s according to U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., who announced a $25 million federal funding award Friday that will allow Appalachian Power to lay additional fiber in the five counties for broadband purposes. Manchin, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said the $25,054,092 million award is... Read More

The federal effort to expand internet access to every home in the U.S. took a major step forward on Friday with the announcement of $930 million in grants to shore up connections in remote parts of the country where significant gaps in connectivity persist. The so-called middle mile grants, announced by the Department of Commerce, are meant to create large-scale networks that will enable retail broadband providers to link subscribers to the internet. Department officials likened the role of the... Read More

BLUEFIELD, W.Va. (WVVA) - The Mountain State is set to see a slice of nearly $1 billion in federal funding, to go toward expanding internet access throughout Southeastern W.Va.. In W.Va., $25,054,092.63 was announced Friday morning, to help expand and implement internet service in a number of in-need counties -- all of which have at least 11% of their populations currently under-served by internet access. On Friday, with the help of private enterprise, a White House Senior Adviser said such... Read More

CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) — A new bill in Congress aims to stop the closing of coal-fired power plants across the nation, including many in our region. The bill now has sponsors in both the House and the Senate. This is another battle between the unelected Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the elected members of Congress. There are 224 coal-fired power plants in the U.S., but there could be fewer, if the federal EPA has its way. The agency is changing its rules to say that all... Read More

Broadband will be getting a boost in five southern West Virginia counties. About 22,000 households in Raleigh, Wyoming, Mercer, McDowell and Summers counties will be connected to broadband with a $25 million grant. The grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunication and Information Administration will enable Appalachian Power to build out middle mile infrastructure. The grant follows another $20 million grant from the same program that expands service to... Read More

WILLIAMSTOWN — An island between Parkersburg and Marietta will be receiving federal funding to close off and cap a number of old oil wells. U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, and member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, recently announced $4,275,000 in funding for the cleanup and remediation of two orphaned oil and gas well sites in West Virginia through the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs... Read More

WASHINGTON (WV News) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently extended the public comment period for its newly proposed power plant regulations. The extension is only for 15 days — the comment period is now set to end Aug. 8 instead of July 24 — far less time than stakeholders had requested, according to U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va. “I’m concerned that the EPA could only give us another 15 days,” she said Thursday during her weekly press... Read More

BLUEFIELD, W.Va. (WVVA) - U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) announced that 36 West Virginia counties would be receiving funding from The U.S. Department of Interior’s Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program. The total amount received for the counties is $3,868,229. These payments are made annually to counties with non-taxable Federal land within their borders to offset the lost property tax revenue. “PILT program funds help offset shortfalls that our local municipalities... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In January of this year reports of the Biden Administration banning gas stoves hit the news circuits. A report from Bloomberg News linked gas stoves to indoor pollution and childhood asthma. A few states have already started mandating new homes and businesses run on electric rather than gas appliances, many states responded by forbidding the ban, West Virginia being one of them. West Virginia Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) has joined seven U.S.... Read More

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WV News) — The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection has issued the final state-level permit needed for the Mountain Valley Pipeline to resume construction, according to Gov. Jim Justice. The WVDEP issued the project’s Section 401 Water Quality Certification last Thursday and submitted it to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Justice said during his administration briefing Wednesday. “To the best of my ability, I’m not aware of anything... Read More

U.S. Rep. Carol Miller (R-WV) and U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) on Monday proposed bicameral legislation that would prevent the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from implementing a recently proposed rule that they say would force the closure of coal- and gas-fired power plants. Specifically, the Protect Our Power Plants (POPP) Act, H.R. 4038/S. 1923, outlines the illegalities of the EPA’s proposal, which the lawmakers say would restrict power generation at new and existing... Read More

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — As the Federal Communications Commission finalizes nationwide broadband coverage maps, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito says it’s important to make sure West Virginia is getting the funding to complete expansion projects to serve more homes and businesses. More than 86,000 new unserved locations in West Virginia have been added to the FCC’s updated broadband coverage map. Capito (R-W.Va.) said there were more challenges than that. “We had over... Read More

A bill to toughen penalties for “smash-and-grab” thefts at federally licensed gun stores has been reintroduced. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., joined 22 of her GOP colleagues, led by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., to reintroduced the Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) Protection Act of 2023. The legislation would address the unacceptably high number of “smash-and-grab” thefts targeted at federally licensed gun dealers by enhancing penalties for criminals who steal... Read More

Legislation aimed at protecting coal- and gas-fired power plants was introduced Monday by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Rep. Carol Miller, R-1st District. The Protect Our Power Plants (POPP) Act would prevent the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from implementing its recently announced emissions regulation proposal that would force the eventual closure of power plants fueled by coal and gas. “With its Clean Power Plan 2.0, the Biden administration has made it quite clear... Read More

CHARLESTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is considering new performance standards regulating the emissions at electric power plants fueled by natural gas, coal and other fossil fuels. Some members of West Virginia’s congressional delegation are raising red flags. The EPA issued a proposed rule on May 11 that would set new source performance standards for greenhouse gas emissions from new and existing power plants that use fossil fuels to generate electricity. Section 111... Read More

WHEELING — A popular home improvement incentive program in Wheeling will continue to assist participating property owners by using funds from a federal earmark, which in turn will free up local money for use on another major project in the city. This month, Wheeling City Council approved the latest round of Facade Improvement Program grants for nearly a dozen property owners and/or business owners in the city. The ongoing program provides matching funds in an amount of up to $15,000 for... Read More

Two of West Virginia’s federal delegation in Washington have introduced legislation in their respective chambers to combat what they believe is overreach by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and President Joe Biden’s administration. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito and Rep. Carol Miller, both R-W.Va., have introduced the Protect Our Power Plants Act. Both Capito and Miller were highly critical of the EPA and Biden Administration, which they say are trying to ignore the U.S. Supreme... Read More

WESTON W.Va. (WV News) — U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito on Monday visited American Legion Auxiliary Rhododendron Girls State at Davis & Elkins College in Elkins and American Legion Mountaineer Boys State at Jackson’s Mill near Weston. Girls State and Boys State are week-long camps where high school students become “citizens” in a mock society, taking various roles in political, legal and other career paths and learning about Americanism, citizenship and politics. The... Read More

U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) on June 6 introduced a bipartisan, bicameral bill that would establish a $25 million grant program for family community organizations that provide support for individuals struggling with substance use disorder and their families. “As the addiction crisis continues to hit communities in West Virginia and across the nation, it is clear the devastating impact it is having not only on those struggling with addiction, but their loved ones,” Sen.... Read More