The People Have Spoken. Now It's Time for Policymakers to Listen.
April 15, 2026
New statewide polling delivers an unmistakable message: West Virginians want a reliable grid, and they’ll reward the leaders who deliver it.
By Craig Blair, Executive Director of West Virginians For Reliable & Affordable Energy
At WVRAE, we’ve long believed that West Virginians understand the stakes when it comes to their electric grid. Now we have the data to prove it.
MBE Research recently completed a statewide survey of registered West Virginia voters and the findings are striking. This isn’t a case where public opinion is muddled or divided along partisan lines. On the question of the importance of grid modernization and transmission upgrades, West Virginians speak with one voice.
Among the findings:
- 95% percent say modernizing the grid should be a priority for policymakers.
- 68% say it should be a “very important” priority.
- 65% say they are more likely to support state legislative candidates who prioritize grid reliability.
Make Your Voice Heard
Contact the Governor and your state legislators today. Tell them West Virginia voters support grid modernization – and that you expect them to act.
Mark Blankenship, CEO of MBE Research and one of West Virginia’s most respected pollsters, put it plainly in his analysis of the results:
“These findings show that electric reliability is a widely shared concern among West Virginia voters. Voters across the state recognize the importance of maintaining and improving the infrastructure that keeps power reliable.”
This support isn’t confined to one part of the state or one part of the political spectrum. In the Charleston/Huntington media market, 67% say grid modernization should be a “very important” priority. In the Clarksburg/Morgantown area, that number is 71%. In the communities directly affected by new transmission projects, Monongalia, Preston, Mineral, and Hampshire counties, support is strong and opposition is minimal. Across the 11-county central corridor, only 7% of voters say they’d be less likely to support a pro-grid candidate.
And for those who wonder whether this is a politically risky issue: 76% of President Trump’s strongest supporters back candidates who prioritize grid modernization. This is a winning issue across the board.
The reason isn’t hard to find. West Virginia consistently ranks among the worst states in the nation for power outage frequency and duration, nearly three outages per year, totaling more than 15 hours without power, compared to a national average of 5.6 hours. Twenty-one percent of our survey respondents reported four or more outages in the past year alone. As Blankenship wrote: “This is not a theoretical problem. It is a lived one.”
Voters aren’t just venting frustration. They understand what fixing the grid would mean: fewer outages, faster restoration after storms, stronger infrastructure, new construction jobs, and a more competitive economy. They’ve connected the dots. Now it’s time for their elected officials to do the same.
Blankenship’s conclusion says it better than we could: “Ninety-five percent support. Two-thirds ready to vote for candidates who prioritize this issue. Backing that spans every corner of the state and every part of the political spectrum. That is not background noise. That is a mandate.”
West Virginia’s policymakers need to hear from you. The polling gives us the argument. Your voice makes it real. Please take a moment to contact Governor Morrisey and your state legislators let them know that you, and the West Virginians you represent, support modernizing our grid and upgrading our transmission infrastructure.
Contact the Governor and your state legislators today
Tell them West Virginia voters support grid modernization – and that you expect them to act.