Morrisey touts energy and manufacturing investment in West Virginia – WTOV

Report on West Virginia’s ’50 by 50′ Energy Initiative and its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

The state of West Virginia has introduced the “50 by 50” energy plan, a strategic initiative aimed at increasing its power generation capacity by 50 gigawatts by the year 2050. This report analyzes the plan’s objectives and announced investments through the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a particular focus on SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure).

Plan Objectives and Scope

The primary goal of the “50 by 50” plan is to triple the state’s energy output to meet projected national demand from manufacturing and data centers over the next 25 years. The strategy emphasizes the development of a reliable energy backbone through specific power sources.

• Primary Goal: Increase energy production by 50 gigawatts by 2050.
• Strategic Focus: Strengthen baseload power generation to ensure energy security.
• Designated Energy Sources: The plan prioritizes coal, natural gas, and nuclear power.

Contribution to SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

The initiative is projected to make a significant contribution to SDG 8 by promoting sustained economic growth and creating full and productive employment. Recent announcements highlight substantial capital investment and job creation directly linked to the plan.

1. Capital Investment: Over $4.5 billion in new investments have been announced in the past month.
2. Aggregate Job Creation: More than 4,300 new, well-paying jobs have been promised, with a significant number located in the Northern Panhandle region.
3. Project-Specific Employment:
   • First Energy’s proposed natural gas plant is expected to create 3,260 construction jobs and support 2,200 permanent direct and indirect jobs.

Advancing SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

The “50 by 50” plan directly supports SDG 9 by fostering investment in resilient and sustainable infrastructure to support industrialization. The announced projects represent a major upgrade to the state’s energy infrastructure.

• First Energy: A proposed 1,200 MW natural gas combined-cycle plant.
• Blackstone: A $1.2 billion investment for a new 600 MW gas plant in Harrison County.
• Ergon: A $400 million investment to expand its Newell facility.
• Bidell Gas Compression: A $7 million investment in its Weirton facility.

Implications for SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

The plan addresses key targets of SDG 7 by seeking to ensure universal access to reliable and modern energy services. However, its approach to the “clean energy” component presents a complex picture.

• Energy Reliability and Access: By focusing on baseload power sources, the plan aims to build a highly reliable energy infrastructure capable of meeting future demand, a core tenet of SDG 7.
• Energy Mix Considerations: The plan’s reliance on coal and natural gas poses challenges to climate-related goals. The inclusion of nuclear power as a potential baseload source offers a low-carbon pathway that aligns more closely with the clean energy aspect of SDG 7.
• Increasing Energy Capacity: The overarching goal to add 50 gigawatts of capacity is a direct effort to expand modern energy infrastructure to fuel economic and industrial growth.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article on West Virginia’s “50 by 50” energy plan connects to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by focusing on energy infrastructure development, economic growth, and job creation.

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

  The core of the article is the “50 by 50” plan, which aims to triple the state’s power generation. It directly addresses the need for a reliable and increased energy supply to meet future demands, which is a central theme of SDG 7. The plan focuses on increasing energy production by “50 gigawatts by 2050” using sources like natural gas, coal, and nuclear to create a “reliable energy backbone.”

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  The plan is explicitly linked to economic benefits for West Virginia. The article highlights that the energy plan is crucial for creating “good manufacturing jobs” and attracting significant investment. It mentions “over $4.5 billion of investment” and “over 4,300 promised new jobs,” which are direct contributions to economic growth and employment, key components of SDG 8.

• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

  This SDG is addressed through the plan’s focus on building new, large-scale energy infrastructure. The article details specific projects, such as a “1,200 MW natural gas combined-cycle plant” and a “new 600 MW gas plant.” These investments in physical infrastructure are intended to support and attract industrial and manufacturing growth, aligning with the goals of building resilient infrastructure and promoting sustainable industrialization.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the details in the article, several specific SDG targets can be identified:

1. Target 7.1: Ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services.

   The article’s emphasis on creating a “reliable energy backbone” to meet the “insatiable need of energy” for manufacturing and data centers directly relates to ensuring a reliable energy supply. The plan to increase generation capacity is a step towards maintaining energy reliability amidst growing demand.

2. Target 8.1: Sustain per capita economic growth in accordance with national circumstances.

   The influx of “over $4.5 billion of investment” from companies like First Energy, Blackstone, and Ergon is a direct driver of economic growth in the state, aligning with this target.

3. Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value.

   The plan’s explicit goal is to create jobs. The article quantifies this by mentioning “4,300 promised new jobs,” including “3,260 construction jobs” and “2,200 direct and indirect permanent jobs,” which are described as “good paying jobs.”

4. Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and transborder infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being.

   The construction of new power plants (natural gas and potentially nuclear) represents a significant development of energy infrastructure designed to be reliable and support the state’s economic ambitions.

5. Target 9.2: Promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and, by 2030, significantly raise industry’s share of employment and gross domestic product.

   The article states that a key reason for the energy plan is to have energy “available for good manufacturing jobs.” This shows a clear strategy to use energy infrastructure development as a catalyst for industrial growth and job creation in the manufacturing sector.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article provides several quantitative and qualitative indicators that can be used to measure progress:

• Indicator for Target 7.1: The primary indicator is the planned increase in electricity generation capacity. The article specifies the goal is to “grow by 50 gigawatts of energy” by 2050. Progress can be measured by tracking the gigawatts added over time.
• Indicator for Target 8.1: The total value of financial investment in the state’s energy and manufacturing sectors. The article provides a concrete figure of “over $4.5 billion of investment” in the last month alone, which serves as a direct indicator of economic activity.
• Indicator for Target 8.5: The number of new jobs created. The article provides specific numbers that can be tracked, such as “4,300 promised new jobs,” broken down further into “3,260 construction jobs” and “2,200 direct and indirect permanent jobs.” The description of these as “good paying jobs” is a qualitative indicator of job decency.
• Indicator for Target 9.1 & 9.2: The amount of investment in new infrastructure and industrial facilities. The article mentions specific projects and their value, such as Blackstone’s “$1.2 billion in a new 600 MW gas plant,” Ergon’s “$400 million investment,” and Bidell Gas Compression’s “$7 million investment.” These figures serve as direct indicators of progress in building industrial infrastructure.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: wtov9.com