Cloudy early with partial sunshine expected late. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 74F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph..
Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 59F. Winds light and variable.
Gov. Jim Justice shakes hands with BHE Renewables President and CEO Alicia Knapp at the West Virginia Culture Center.
Gov. Jim Justice ceremonially signs Senate Bill 4001 into law.
Gov. Jim Justice ceremonially signs Senate Bill 4001 into law.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WV News) — A 2,000-acre site in Jackson County will be the future home of a “renewable energy microgrid-powered industrial site” thanks to a planned $500 million investment by BHE Renewables.
The company, a Berkshire Hathaway Energy subsidiary, recently purchased the site from the West Virginia Economic Development Authority and announced plans to “bring additional businesses to the site to benefit from the prime manufacturing location and renewable energy infrastructure.”
Precision Castparts Corp., of Columbus, Ohio, will be the first company to locate on the industrial site, with plans for a titanium products manufacturing facility, according to a press release.
The company will develop “a state-of-the-art titanium melt facility that will use 100% renewable energy to manufacture titanium products for the aerospace and other industries.”
The titanium facility will make use of the former Century Aluminum site. The plant closed in 2015, and the property was deeded to the state in 2020.
“This project demonstrates how investing in clean energy can revive economies that have served our country’s energy needs for decades,” said BHE Renewables President and CEO Alicia Knapp.
Gov. Jim Justice shakes hands with BHE Renewables President and CEO Alicia Knapp at the West Virginia Culture Center.
“Our future facility is an outstanding opportunity to use clean energy as we invest in further strengthening our position as a world leader in titanium metals,” said Precision Castparts Corp. President Steve Wright. “Manufacturing our products with 100% renewable energy benefits PCC and our customers as we strive to minimize the impact of our operations and wisely use natural resources.”
The program aims to encourage development “in certain circumstances where the availability of electricity generated from renewable sources is demonstrated to be necessary,” according to the bill text.
Justice, State Economic Development Secretary Mitch Carmichael, West Virginia Senate President Craig Blair, Speaker of the House Roger Hanshaw and other state officials celebrated the investment during an event held at the West Virginia Culture Center.
“This is a monumental announcement that will pay dividends for generations to come,” Justice said. “The partnership we are forging with BHE Renewables and PCC is testament to West Virginia’s ability to compete on the world stage and recruit world-class companies like these to our state.”
West Virginia’s U.S. senators, Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito, each released statements praising the announcement.
“I’m excited by Berkshire Hathaway’s decision to invest in the Mountain State and look forward to seeing the benefits of this investment — including long-term, good-paying jobs and supporting our regional economies — for years to come,” said Manchin.
“This unprecedented project has the potential to rapidly transform the Ravenswood area, and spark the economic development our communities need to grow and thrive,” Capito said.
Carmichael, a Jackson County native, said his father was employed at the former Century Aluminum plant.
“Our state’s growth-focused economic policies are second-to-none,” he said. “West Virginia is investing in smart new ways for businesses to build success around clean energy that’s here to stay.”
The West Virginia Legislature paved the way for the with the passage of Senate Bill 4001 during the four special session of the year.
The bill establishes the Certified Industrial Business Expansion Development Program, which will be overseen by the state Department of Economic Development.
The program aims to encourage development “in certain circumstances where the availability of electricity generated from renewable sources is demonstrated to be necessary,” according to the bill text.
Prior to the bill’s passage, Justice said its aim was improve the state’s business climate.
“Basically, what we’re trying to do is be all-welcoming and not miss the opportunities to bring more and more great jobs to West Virginia,” he said.
Senior Staff Writer Charles Young can be reached at 304-626-1447 or cyoung@theet.com
Your comment has been submitted.
There was a problem reporting this.
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sign up to receive our daily newsletter about all things business and politics in West Virginia.
Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device.
Please disable your ad blocker, whitelist our site, or purchase a subscription
News from around the State and World. What you need to know for today! Don't Miss it!
Find out what's happening around the state with this weekly email alert sent every Thursday evening!
Sign up to get our statewide obits delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign up to receive our daily newsletter about all things business and politics in West Virginia.
Morgantown News Delivered Each Day!
Morgantown News Delivered to Your Inbox Each Week!
Special offers from businesses around your area.
Get the latest headlines on local WVU, College and High School sports!
Get latest breaking news from around the state when it happens.
Daily News, Sports and Events from The ET.
Sign up for the only WV Government and Business newsletter delivered each week!
This week's most popular news from around the State. Don't Miss it!
Daily News, Sports and Events for Marion County.
Weekly Fairmont news emailed every Thursday evening!
Daily News, Sports and Events for Garrett County and surrounding areas.
Find out what's happening in Garrett County with this weekly email alert!
Get the Jackson Star & Herald Delivered to your email everyday!
Get the Jackson News Weekly delivered to your inbox!
Daily news from the Mineral News & Tribune delivered to your email!
Get the news for Mineral County, Keyser and Frankfort delivered to your email on Tuesdays and Fridays!
Daily News, Sports and Events for Preston County.
Weekly email alert sent every Tuesday and Friday afternoon for Preston County!
Get the River Cities Tribune & Register Delivered to your email everyday!
Get the River Cities Tribune and Register Delivered to your email less frequently!
Daily News, Sports and Events for Weston and Surrounding areas.
Sign up for local job offers sent to your inbox.
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Invalid password or account does not exist
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account.
Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
A receipt was sent to your email.