CLARKSBURG (WV News) — A core focus of his “50 by ’50” energy expansion initiative will be prolonging the lifespan of the state’s existing power plants, Gov. Patrick Morrisey said Thursday.

Morrisey, speaking at an event on the Clarksburg campus of Pierpont Community & Technical College, said a key component of the proposal to dramatically expand the state’s power generation capacity in the decades ahead will be to prevent the premature closure of coal-fired power plants while supporting upgrades to maximize efficiency.

“It’s clear that we must extend the useful lives of these existing coal fleet in West Virginia,” he said. “We have to do it because the power demands that our country faces are so severe.”

The “50 by ’50” plan, which the governor first announced last month during the Wes

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