West Virginia legislation · 2025 Regular Session
West Virginia HB3173: Placing a two year a cap on electrical utility rates
Status: Introduced, March 6, 2025
The purpose of this bill is to provide relief to West Virginia residents and businesses from the rocket ride of rapidly rising utility rates by placing a temporary cap on electrical utility rates.
What the bill says
To amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §24-2-4i, relating to placing a two year a cap on electrical utility rates. ARTICLE 2. POWERS AND DUTIES OF PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION. §24-2-4i. Capped electric rates. (a) Legislative findings - West Virginians' electric rates more than doubled between 2005 and 2022, outpacing the increases in every other state in the country. Because West Virginians have the second lowest median income of any state, these electric rate increases have caused great hardship to lower income residents, includi.
From the introduced text, March 6, 2025:
A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §24-2-4i, relating to placing a two year a cap on electrical utility rates. ARTICLE 2. POWERS AND DUTIES OF PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION. §24-2-4i. Capped electric rates. (a) Legislative findings - West Virginians' electric rates more than doubled between 2005 and 2022, outpacing the increases in every other state in the country. Because West Virginians have the second lowest median income of any state, these electric rate increases have caused great hardship to lower income residents, including elderly residents living on monthly social security checks. In many instances electric bills are the single highest expense, particularly in the winter and summer. Rising electric rates also harm West Virginia's economy and impede the state's ability to attract technology businesses such as data centers and other industries that use large amounts of electricity. (b) Electric utility rates capped - Notwithstanding any provisions of this article to the contrary, upon the effective date of this section, the Commission shall establish capped rates for each electric utility as and (2) Such capped rates shall be the rates in effect for each such electric utility until July 1, 2026. The Commission may only adjust such capped rates in connection with such electric utility's recovery of fuel and …