Charleston, W.Va. – Delegate Wayne Clark (R-Jefferson) took to the stage Wednesday at the West Virginia New Energy Conference hosted by MAREC: Mid-Atlantic Renewable Energy Coalition and the American Clean Power Association to make a special announcement.

Clark told attendees that West Virginia is primed to continue its proud tradition of economic prosperity by harnessing the state’s natural resources to fuel the country and the world. He noted, “advancements in technology have created new, exciting opportunities for West Virginia to expand energy generation and grow jobs. The Mountain State can become a true all-of-the above energy exporter and remain the powerhouse we are— if we are strategic.”

As such, Clark noted that after careful review of information provided to him over the previous two legislative sessions and hearing from industry leaders and those in various fields, he decided to act by creating the New Energy Caucus – a forum for continued education on all topics relating to energy advancements and innovation.

He went on to state, “I truly believe that the continuation of our energy legacy will drive both short and long-term opportunities for our future generations of West Virginians. By encouraging private investment and job creation through energy development and diversification, we are helping to stabilize our economy even further.”

“The New Energy Caucus is a way for my legislative colleagues and I to learn more about a broad spectrum of energy resources and advancements. Instead of being reactive, we must be proactive and take the lead, if we want to retain our status as the fifth-largest energy exporter,” Clark added. He followed by noting, “I’ve heard from my colleagues across the state, and we are all proud of our energy heritage. This is an opportunity to work together to celebrate what our ancestors built and to build the next phase of energy expansion in the Mountain State.”

The New Energy Caucus will meet each week during the regular legislative session starting in January 2023. Delegate Clark and members of the caucus have developed a robust line-up of subject matter experts who will provide information and education to members on the topics such as battery energy storage systems, hydrogen fuel, wind and solar power, coalfield redevelopment, carbon capture and sequestration, the PJM grid operator, workforce development and others.