The bill introduced on January 15, 2026, seeks to establish the Public Electrical Savings Act by amending section 24-2-1 of the Code of West Virginia. It sets forth specific guidelines for power purchase agreements (PPAs) that public entities can enter into, requiring that these agreements guarantee a cost per kilowatt-hour lower than that of local public electrical utilities and limiting their duration to five years, with the possibility of renewal. Additionally, the bill mandates that public utilities hire a third party to inspect meters related to these agreements and report the findings to customers.

Moreover, the bill modifies the jurisdiction of the Public Service Commission (PSC) concerning various utilities, particularly clarifying that natural gas producers serving 25 or fewer residential customers are exempt from PSC jurisdiction unless requested by customers. It also establishes limits on the size of on-site energy facilities for different customer types and explicitly states that the PSC does not have jurisdiction over Internet protocol-enabled services. The bill emphasizes that the regulation of rates, fees, and charges for municipal power systems should be managed by local governing bodies, thereby limiting the PSC's authority in this area and streamlining regulatory oversight.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 24-2-1