Natural gas has become a preferred fuel for electricity generation due to its abundance, cost and environmental impact, according to Daily Mail WV.

More than 25 new gas-fired electric generation facilities have been built in and around the Mid-Atlantic region in the past five years and several more are under construction. However, none have been built in West Virginia, who still accounts for 92% of its electricity generation from coal-fired electric power plants.

Incidentally, a change could be on the horizon as a proposal by Longview Power to construct and operate a 1,200-megawatt gas-fired combined-cycle power plant near Morgantown is currently under review by the West Virginia Public Service Commission. If approved the facility could lower electricity costs, facilitate industrial growth and utilize the abundance of natural gas within the state.

Learn more: Daily Mail WV > Energy Matters: Longview Power’s gas-fired power plant project would benefit WV consumers