Legislature Adopts Bill Meant To Bring Ohio Aerospace Company to Ravenswood

Sep. 13—West Virginia's fourth legislative special session of the year came and went in orderly and bipartisan fashion Monday at the Capitol, as lawmakers adopted bills establishing a program allowing new businesses to sell renewable energy they generate and appropriated $150 million to ongoing road projects.

There was minimal debate over the three bills that were the topic of the special session, which took place while lawmakers already were in town for interim committee meetings.

The new program in particular is meant to attract an Ohio-based aerospace manufacturing facility to Jackson County, Gov. Jim Justice and Economic Development Secretary Mitch Carmichael said Monday.

The property to be developed is owned by the West Virginia Economic Development Authority, Carmichael said during a meeting of the House Judiciary Committee.

Lawmakers made references to Berkshire Hathaway throughout the day when discussing the Senate Bill 4001, which would establish part of the deal that Carmichael said would lead to the Jackson County development.

Berkshire Hathaway acquired Precision Castparts Corp. in 2016. The corporation is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio.

Justice declined to disclose the exact company or nature of its development during a COVID-19 news briefing Monday. Instead, he said he expected to be able to make an announcement Tuesday.

"There is an announcement that is right on our doorsteps," Justice said.

Carmichael, a native of Jackson County, also wouldn't disclose the name of the company, only relaying the industry in which the company operates during the House Judiciary Committee meeting.

"This is an opportunity before us, and we feel like it will be an incredibly successful project that, hopefully, attracts other industry to West Virginia," Carmichael said.

The West Virginia Economic Development Authority is scheduled to convene Tuesday to consider the "potential sale" of property in Jackson County and Meigs County, Ohio, as well as "a High Impact Development Project" pursuant to the law the Legislature adopted Monday.

The only property the Economic Development Authority owns in Jackson County, or "near Ravenswood," as the governor put it, is the site of the former Century Aluminum plant, according to Jackson County Assessor property records.

Century Aluminum stopped production in 2009 and closed for good in 2016, according to the company's website. The Economic Development Authority owns a little more than 2,045 acres at the site.

The authority also owns at least 140 acres of former Century Aluminum property in Meigs County, Ohio, directly across the river from the plant site in West Virginia, according to Meigs County Auditor property records.

Carmichael told the committee he expects the development to initially create 200 jobs, and another 1,000 jobs "down river."

The Legislature adopted SB 4001, establishing the districts, with bipartisan support.

The only people to vote against the bill were Delegates Marty Gearheart, R-Mercer, and Bryan Ward, R-Hardy, in the House, and Sen. Rupie Phillips, R-Logan, in the Senate.

The law creates "High Impact Industrial Business Development Districts," in which companies using renewable energy will be able to sell that energy to other entities in the district, including power companies, outside of the jurisdiction of the West Virginia Public Service Commission.

The companies would be allowed to use existing energy infrastructure to distribute power.

To be eligible, the districts would have to attract at least two new or expanded businesses, and those businesses could not take up more than 2,250 acres.

The businesses would have to be located on land sold or leased by state agencies, or on land previously used for coal mining.

The Legislature also adopted two bills that took $150 million from the budget surplus for fiscal year 2022, which ended in June, and gave it to the Department of Transportation for road maintenance and equipment.

The House and Senate adjourned from their fourth special session just before 6 p.m. Monday.

The fourth special session came and went while the third special session remains in relative legislative limbo. Justice called the third session in July, to have lawmakers consider bills cutting the state's personal income tax rate and clarifying abortion access.

The House and Senate recessed from the session without passing any bills.

The House will reconvene briefly Tuesday to administratively advance House Bill 302, which would establish restriction to abortion procedures, House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay, announced Monday.

Lacie Pierson covers politics. She can be reached at 304-348-1723 or [email protected]. Follow @laciepierson on Twitter.

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