In The News

West Virginia received great news Thursday as officials learned that the state’s plan for using $1.2 billion allocated for broadband expansion has been approved. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) approved West Virginia’s Volume II Initial Proposal for the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. West Virginia now will be able to start drawing down the funding designed to push broadband access further into rural parts of the Mountain State. Much... Read More

Elected leaders from West Virginia and other coal-producing states as well as the nation’s capitol on Thursday denounced new Environmental Protection Agency regulations aimed at reducing air emissions by pushing for the closure of coal-fired and gas-fired power plants. New limits on greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel-fired electric plants are the Biden administration’s most ambitious effort yet to roll back planet-warming pollution from the power sector, the nation’s second-largest... Read More

CHARLESTON — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey says he will be challenging a new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule he says will force power plants fueled by coal or natural gas to capture smokestack emissions or shut down. “This new rule would strip the states of important discretion while using technologies that don’t work in the real world — so it sets up the plants to fail,” Morrisey said the new EPA rule issued April 25. “These plants, which are an essential part of our... Read More

State and federal leaders in West Virginia spoke out against new rules for power plants that were announced Thursday by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin said the Biden Administration was more frightened by political threats than any risks to the power grid. He called the action "political" and indicated he expected court challenges would eventually block the rule change. "How could they be so stupid to move down this path knowing the outcome is going to be...sheer... Read More

WASHINGTON (TND) — Several GOP lawmakers flamed the Biden administration Thursday for a “reckless" new initiative focused on clean energy. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Thursday announced four new rules for fossil fuel use. These rules aim to tighten regulations and reduce “dangerous pollution.” Under the new rules, the EPA will force coal power plants to almost completely eliminate their greenhouse gas emissions by 2039. Coal is still used to generate about 18% of electricity... Read More

CHARLESTON – Nearly one year after the federal government awarded West Virginia more than $1.2 billion for broadband expansion, West Virginia was one of three states whose plan to implement that expansion was approved. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) approved West Virginia’s Volume II Initial Proposal for the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. Kansas and Nevada’s plans were also approved. Approval of the BEAD plan means West Virginia can... Read More

West Virginia is among the first three states to be approved to start accessing millions of federal dollars for broadband expansion. The upshot is West Virginia can soon begin drawing down $1.2 billion to deploy high-speed internet networks for a region where connectivity has been an uphill battle. “This means West Virginia is another step closer to using our $1.2 billion towards efforts to better-connect homes, business, and classrooms across the state,” said Senator Shelley Moore Capito,... Read More

A new era for Aurora Flight Sciences is officially here. Aurora, a Boeing company, has completed a significant expansion of its site near the North Central West Virginia Airport in Bridgeport. The expansion supports significant growth across both current production programs and new opportunities in the aerospace industry. A ribbon cutting ceremony took place on Wednesday that was attended by a contingent of Aurora executives and employees as well as local and state leaders. The expansion adds... Read More

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today rolled out final rules requiring coal-fired power plants in the United States to reduce 90% of their greenhouse pollution into the next decade, prompting a backlash by political figures in coal-focused West Virginia. The rules would also require all new baseload gas-fired plants control 90% of their carbon pollution. “Pure lunacy,” U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, chairman of the Senate Energy Committee, said on MetroNews’ “Talkline.” Manchin, D-W.Va.,... Read More

The Biden administration finalized highly anticipated regulations on Thursday, cracking down on existing and future fossil fuel-fired power plants as part of its sweeping climate agenda. In a joint announcement, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and White House officials said the rules would target all coal-fired power generation and future natural gas power plants. The regulations, according to the officials, will help the nation meet President Biden's goals of decarbonizing the nation's... Read More

BRIDGEPORT — Aurora Flight Sciences will use 50,000 square feet of new manufacturing space to help aerospace take flight in West Virginia. The company held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its facility in the Benedum Airport Complex on Wednesday morning. Governor Jim Justice and U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito delivered remarks, as did Mike Caimona, the company’s president and CEO. “This is an important facility for Aurora, Boeing and the aerospace industry,” Caimona said. “We manufacture some parts... Read More

West Virginia’s two senators have announced federal funding is coming for a wastewater service project in the town of Davis. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced $5 millionfrom the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to support important upgrades to the Davis wastewater system. “I’m pleased that the EPA is investing $5 million to support vital upgrades to Davis’s wastewater infrastructure,” Manchin said.”This project will help ensure every Davis... Read More

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia said in a statement she would soon be introducing a Congressional Review Act resolution to overturn what she referred to as "the EPA’s job-killing regulations." The agency on Thursday is rolling out new, aggressive emissions reduction standards for existing coal and new gas plants. Capito and other skeptics on both sides of the aisle have said the rulemaking could lead to higher energy prices and more volatility across the nation's power... Read More

The Biden administration on Thursday cracked down on planet-warming emissions and other pollution from power plants, aiming to make these power sources more environmentally friendly. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on Thursday it had finalized a suite of rules that aim to cut the plants’ pollution.  One such rule, which regulates greenhouse gas emissions from existing coal and new gas plants, will require them to install technology that prevents 90 percent of their carbon... Read More

U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Mike Rounds (R-SD), and Todd Young (R-IN) urged President Joe Biden to fill several empty seats on the United States International Trade Commission (ITC), which plays a crucial role in setting and implementing U.S. trade policy. “The current vacancies and expired terms jeopardize the ability of the ITC to do its job,” wrote the senators in an April 18 letter sent to President Biden. “As the U.S. faces unfair competition in crucial economic industries, it... Read More

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. (WBOY) — Aurora Flight Sciences cut the ribbon on an expansion for its fabrication workshop Wednesday morning in Bridgeport, a crucial step in the business’ plans to expand operations and employment opportunities. Although still attached to its main facility, Aurora officials described the expansion as almost an “entirely new building” as it adds nearly 50,000 square feet. The new space will house more “clean room” space, machinery and production equipment and more freezer... Read More

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of the Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, released the following statement on her vote to pass the national security supplemental package. “Our nation is facing the most dangerous global threat level we have seen in decades. Our allies are under attack, our national security industrial base has been weakened, TikTok poses a major national security threat, and adversaries like China, Russia, and Iran are working together in unprecedented... Read More

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia’s two U.S. senators backed a bill Tuesday night providing billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, as well as requiring either the sale or banning of a controversial social media app with ties to the Chinese government. The U.S. Senate passed a $95.3 billion aid package for Ukraine as it continues to fight an invasion by neighbor Russia, Israel as it continues to fight the terrorist group Hamas following an attack last October, and Taiwan as... Read More

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. (WV News) — Aurora Flight Sciences now has plenty of additional space to spread its wings on the campus of North Central West Virginia Airport. On Wednesday Gov. Jim Justice, U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and a host of state and local officials celebrated the completion of a significant expansion project at the Boeing subsidiary’s Bridgeport facility that will allow the hiring of an additional 100 employees over the next five years. “It’s just exciting to see how far... Read More

West Virginia’s two U.S. senators backed a bill Tuesday night providing billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, as well as requiring either the sale or banning of a controversial social media app with ties to the Chinese government. The U.S. Senate passed a $95.3 billion aid package for Ukraine as it continues to fight an invasion by neighbor Russia, Israel as it continues to fight the terrorist group Hamas following an attack last October and Taiwan as neighboring China... Read More