This section explains where the data come from, how they are used, and what limits apply. The objective is transparency. Every table and statement in this profile can be traced to publicly available, authoritative sources, primarily federal agencies and grid operators.
No modeled scenarios, advocacy datasets, or proprietary forecasts are used unless explicitly stated.
A. Primary Data Sources
1. U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)
The EIA is the primary source for generation, capacity, fuel mix, emissions, and pricing data.
Key EIA datasets used include:
- State Electricity Profiles (West Virginia)
- Net generation by fuel
- Net summer capacity by fuel
- Retail electricity prices (residential, commercial, industrial)
- Power-sector emissions (CO₂, SO₂, NOₓ)
- State Energy Data System (SEDS)
- Long-term historical capacity and generation trends
- Fuel-specific capacity classifications
- Electricity Data Browser / State Tables
- Annual generation totals
- Fuel-level breakdowns
- Storage net generation accounting
Why EIA:
EIA data are standardized, audited, and widely cited by regulators, utilities, and researchers. They form the baseline for most federal and state energy analysis.
2. PJM Interconnection
PJM data are used for grid and market context, including:
- Regional transmission organization (RTO) participation
- Capacity market structure
- Reliability and dispatch considerations
- Winter and peak-event performance summaries (contextual, not modeled)
Why PJM:
West Virginia is electrically integrated into PJM; system behavior cannot be accurately described without reference to PJM market and reliability structures.
3. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
EPA data are used for emissions context, including:
- Power-sector CO₂ emissions (state-level)
- Emissions intensity comparisons
- Facility-level greenhouse gas reporting (where referenced)
Why EPA:
EPA provides the official federal emissions inventory used for regulatory and comparative purposes.
4. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
BLS data support employment and workforce analysis, including:
- Mining and logging employment
- Energy-related labor categories
- Wage and employment trend context
5. West Virginia State Agencies
Used primarily for tax and revenue context, including:
- Severance tax distribution
- State revenue summaries
- Energy-related fiscal impacts
B. Definitions & Conventions Used
To avoid ambiguity, the following definitions apply throughout the profile:
Installed Capacity
- Net summer capacity (MW) as reported by EIA
- Represents maximum sustained output under summer conditions
- Capacity is categorized by primary energy source
Electricity Generation
- Net generation (MWh) measured at the plant level
- Reflects actual electricity produced over a calendar year
- Classified by fuel actually used, not by capacity designation
Capacity Factor
Calculated as:
Annual generation ÷ (Net summer capacity × 8,760 hours)
Capacity factors shown are implied averages, not unit-specific operational metrics.
Storage Accounting
- Battery storage may show negative net generation
- This reflects charging losses versus discharging output
- Storage is treated as a system component, not a primary energy source
C. Time Periods Covered
- Primary analysis year: 2024 (most recent full-year data available at time of writing)
- Trend references: Earlier years cited only for historical context
- Prices: Most recent annual or trailing-12-month data available
Where datasets lag (e.g., emissions inventories), the most recent finalized year is used and identified as such.
D. Methodological Choices
The following analytical choices were made deliberately:
- No forward modeling (no 2030/2040 scenarios)
- No policy targets or assumptions
- No lifecycle emissions accounting
- No social cost estimates
This profile describes system performance as it exists, not as it is proposed or advocated.
E. Known Limitations
Readers should be aware of the following constraints:
- State-level aggregation
- County- or plant-level variation is not always visible in state averages.
- Capacity vs reliability
- Installed capacity does not equal dependable capacity at peak; reliability conclusions rely on observed generation behavior, not nameplate ratings.
- Employment attribution
- Energy-related employment figures vary by classification and methodology; indirect and induced jobs are noted where applicable but not overstated.
- Emissions scope
- Emissions figures reflect power-sector combustion only, not upstream mining, transportation, or lifecycle impacts unless explicitly stated.
F. Citation & Reuse Guidance
This profile may be cited as:
Seneca Center for Energy and Critical Minerals Policy, “West Virginia Energy Profile,” 2026.
Charts and tables may be reproduced with attribution, provided data sources are preserved.
Section 9 Bottom Line
Every figure in this profile is:
- Publicly sourced
- Traceable
- Methodologically explicit
Disagreements may arise over interpretation or policy, but not over what the data say.