The "Energy Freedom and Fairness Act" seeks to amend the Code of West Virginia by creating a competitive retail market for electric power specifically for non-residential customers with a demand exceeding one megawatt, effective January 1, 2027. The bill empowers these customers to choose their electric power suppliers from competitive service providers or the wholesale market. It includes provisions for the Public Service Commission to set load capacity allowances, establish a subscription queue for customers, and ensure transparency in utility rates. Additionally, electric utilities are required to provide detailed billing information to facilitate customer comparisons in the competitive market.

The legislation also outlines licensing requirements for competitive service providers, ensuring they adhere to financial and operational standards, and prohibits electric utilities from shifting costs to non-participating ratepayers. The commission is tasked with overseeing the market to maintain fairness, conducting hearings on capacity allowances, and ensuring that unreasonable costs are not passed on to customers. Furthermore, the bill mandates the commission to open a stakeholder input proceeding within six months of the effective date and to submit an annual report to the Governor and the Joint Committee on Government and Finance, summarizing key details about the competitive bid process and market participation.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 24-9-1, 24-9-2, 24-9-3, 24-9-4, 24-9-5, 24-9-6, 24-9-7, 24-9-8, 24-9-9