HB 2014: Data center microgrids create opportunities for natural gas developers
West Virginia has enacted House Bill 2014, which seeks to incentivize the development of high impact data centers (HIDCs) and microgrid districts. The bill, introduced at the request of the Governor, establishes the Certified Microgrid Development Program and provides a new regulatory structure that facilitates third-party electric generation. This new framework creates a significant opportunity for natural gas developers to serve as key infrastructure partners to provide reliable, cost-effective energy to data-intensive facilities. The bill rebrands the existing “Certified Industrial Business Expansion Development Program” as the “Certified Microgrid Development Program” and modifies the requirements of the
existing two microgrid districts that were previously designated to BHE Renewables and Fidelis. Of note, it removes the limitation that only renewable resources may be used to generate electricity within the microgrid districts. While it keeps the cap on districts at two, it provides an unlimited cap on microgrid districts that feature a HIDC that consumes greater than 70% of the power generated within the microgrid district. A HIDC is defined as a data facility or
HB 2014
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GO-WV board election ballots mailed soon
It is once again time to elect new members to the GO-WV Board of Directors. This year you will be asked to elect seven: four (4) producer operators and three (3) other operators. All directors will be elected to a three-year term beginning immediately following the 2025 Summer Meeting in August.
In addition to this article, the 2025 Ballot, instructions and complete listing of the candidates, provided in alphabetical order, will be placed in the U.S. Mail to all voting members on or about May 1, 2025. You will have until early June to cast your ballot which needs to be returned postmarked on or before Friday, June 6, 2025. The number of votes to which your company is entitled is based on total dues paid and is further explained in the mailing.
Please make note of our outgoing board member Jeff Isner of Pillar Energy. An article recognizing
his service will be forthcoming. Nominees are listed in alphabetical order, not by category.
Maribeth Anderson is the Director of Government Relations for Antero Resources. She came to Antero at the end of 2017, after serving in similar roles for Southwestern Energy and Chesapeake Energy since 2007. Prior to entering the energy sector, Maribeth was the news director for WSAZ Television. Maribeth has served in industry leadership roles across four states, as the former board President for the WV Oil and Natural Gas Association, former President of the Gas and Oil Association of WV (GO-WV), and a board
GO-WV elections
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James Bailey, Esq. Spilman Thomas & Battle, PLLC
Ellis, Krcek and Tetrick inducted into WVU Petroleum and Natural Gas Academy
In an April 26, 2025 ceremony, the West Virginia University Department of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering inducted three new members into its Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering Academy.
The three inductees, all members of GO-WV, are Bob Krcek of Antero Resources Corporation (below), Kevin Ellis, retired from Antero Resources Corporation (at right), and Todd Tetrick of Diversified Energy Company (below right).
"You serve as a role model to our undergraduate and graduate students, an example of all they can become if they apply themselves, take advantage of educational opportunities afforded them through our department and work hard for our industry well beyond graduation," said WVU's Dr. Sam Ameri in making the announcement. "You have achieved a great deal of professional success and worked tirelessly for the advancement of the oil and natural gas industry. You will set the standard for future additions to this elite group."
Above, Dr. Sam Ameri with Kevin Ellis and, below, Ameri with Todd Tetrick, both 2025 inductees in the WVU Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering Academy. Krcek was unable to attend.
From the Burd’s Nest: Tough in a gentle way
Since joining the Association, many of my monthly articles (this being my 275th) have attempted to share some of the wisdom bestowed upon me from my father. As part of the "Greatest Generation," my father was a man who understood that hard work instilled the values of discipline, dedication, determination and a sense of pride and accomplishment. As part of a school project, I once questioned him about what it was like to live through the Great Depression. Among other things, Dad told me those times were very tough, and the Depression did not discriminate; virtually everyone suffered the same economic hardships of lost family income and jobs. To get by, you had to be frugal and let nothing go to waste, trade or barter to get the everyday items and you had to learn to trust and to rely on each other to survive those difficult times. The he went on to assure me that tough times don’t last forever—but tough people do. Dad was tough, but in a gentle way. He was firm in his principles but understanding in how he interacted with his family and others!
Please let me tell you, this 2025 Legislative Session was tough. When the gavel hit at midnight, Saturday, April 12, a total of 944 Senate and 1,521 House Bills had been introduced. Of those 2,465 bills, only 249 Bills (10.1%) ( 152 House Bills (10%), 97 Senate Bills (10.3%) passed both Chambers. GO-WV had both successes and disappointments in what passed and what didn’t. Here is a brief final summary.
Completed Legislation supported or not opposed by GO-WV:
Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 22— Provides for enhanced damages (triple) for non-payment of royalties due from oil, natural gas, or natural gas liquids on well production under the terms of a lease or other agreement; providing for treble damages for unpaid royalties after non-payment for six months, unless there is a bona fide dispute or the damages are otherwise provided for in writing; providing for proper juris-
diction and venue for causes of action to resolve disputes; providing for the prevailing party to be awarded reasonable attorney’s fees and costs; and providing that the section applies to disputes filed on or after July 1, 2025. This bill passed the Senate and the House of Delegates and completed legislative action on April 7, was sent to the Governor on April 9. We await his final decision to sign, veto, or allow the legislation to become law without his signature. GO-WV is on record supporting the payment of royalties to lessors as provided in lease agreements unless there is a valid justification for not doing so.
Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 627—
Removes the prohibition against leasing stateowned pore spaces underlying lands designated as state parks for the sequestration of CO2. It prohibits any disturbance of the surface of WV state park property for any drilling or injection activity; requires monetary proceeds from any leased stateowned pore spaces underlying state forests, state parks, natural and scenic areas, wildlife management areas, under the jurisdiction and control of the Director of the WVDNR be used exclusively where the leased pore space is located. It also has a setback provision requiring that the center of any well pad leased for pore space underlying state parks may not be located within 200 feet of a state park boundary. The Secretary of the Department of Commerce, in consultation with the Director of the Division of Natural Resources, may waive the setback requirement after considering the other various impact of the lessee’s proposed well-site location. This bill passed the Senate and the House of Delegates and completed legislative action on April 9, was sent to the Governor on April 12. It is before the Governor for his decision. GO-WV did not oppose this legislation.
Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 823—Revises the statutes to clarify and separate duties identified in the code between the Division of Emergency Management and the West VirBurd's Nest
Continued on page 18
Safety was theme of April seminars on damage prevention, pipeline safety
Pipeline Safety Seminar attendees heard from Mary Friend of the WV PSC and WV 811 over two days. Mountaineer Gas sponsored the Charleston session, while BHE GT&S sponsored the Bridgeport session. For complete presentation details, click here.
Left and below right, Damage Prevention Workshop attendees heard from a number of speakers at the Hope Gas office in Jane Lew. Shown from left are Brandon Hahn, WV 811, Jason Porter, Apex Pipeline Services, Jerry Poage, WV 811 and Morgan O'Brien, Hope Gas.
Jason Porter Safety Committee Chair
Andria Wymer Membership Chair
GO-WV welcomes new member in April
Please join the GO-WV Board of Directors in welcoming this member approved in April:
VAVCO PRO
3 Penn Center West Suite 201 Pittsburgh, PA 15276
Phone: (412) 788-1401
Bob Olech bobolech@vavcollc.com
Training opportunities
Oil &Gas Museum
The Oil, Gas and Industrial Historical Association, West Virginia’s only multi-site museum, highlights the history and present day impact of oil and gas in the Appalachian Basin.
We honor and celebrate the rich history of West Virginia and the MidOhio Valley, supporting research, preservation and interpretation at our sites.
Start exploring the Oil and Gas Museum and travel back in time with us.
MUSEUMS
of the Mid -Ohio Valley
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May 20, 2025
Ashland Train Depot 99 15th St. Ashland, KY 41101
Agenda:
• 08:30 - 09:00
Registration Check-in
• 09:00 - 09:15
Introduction
• 09:15 - 10:45
Pipeline Strike Scenario
• 10:45 - 11:30
Break, move to training area- Lunch will be served.
• 11:30 - 12:00
Underground Facilities Damage Prevention Act Overview-Public Service Commission
• 12:00 - 12:45
Locate Request Overview Kentucky 811/One Call Concepts
• 12:45 - 01:15
First Responders Discussion
• 01:15 - 01:45
Utility Operator Discussion Local Gas Utility Operator
• 01:45 - 02:15
Damage Investigation and Hit Kit Training NUCA of Kentucky
• 02:15 - 02:30 Closing
Preserving Your Legacy: Technology Readiness for Small Business Mergers &Acquisitions
Join us on Thursday, May 8, for a virtual focused panel discussion on preparing your business’s technology for a successful acquisition. Learn what investors look for in IT systems, how tech issues can impact valuation, and what steps you can take now to boost your company’s M&A readiness. This discussion is perfect for small business owners planning for exit, growth, or succession. The webinar will take place from 12:00-12:45 pm.
Register here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qAEL3-s9TVOG5YxMZIY2PQ#/registration
Kathy Hill Ergon
friend said, “I want my son to have a failure in the USA. I will be half a world away and I can’t help him. He will learn to pick himself up, learn from failure and succeed.”
In relationships, if we are waiting for the perfect person it will be a long wait. No one is perfect. My wife Lynnda isn’t perfect and neither am I. We learned to accept each other's short comings. Many times my weaknesses are Lynnda’s strengths. I have to swallow my pride and ask for help. This is easier to do if we look at ourselves as a team. Diversity is essential for a successful team.
Last month we celebrated Earth Day. A lot of environmental progress has happened since I was in college. The environment we live in today is the cleanest of my life. There is more to be done. We can’t wait for perfect conditions. Pollution
Chairman's Report Continued from page 2
worker who helped me set up some beach chairs and an umbrella. His supervisor rushed out with the $20 dollar tip and told me that I could not tip him in that $20 represents nearly a week's wages in Mexico. I asked how much do your employees make and he said $6 per day and we feed the employees and operate a school for the employees' children under the resort. They may not technically be slaves but you sure can see it from where I was sitting that day. About 20% of the vehicles sold in America are manufactured in Mexico.
As long as there is a disparity between the wealth of nations there will be slavery or pseudo slavery as I like to call it. In my lifetime, I have witnessed American politicians and business pave the way for American industries to set up shop in countries that practice pseudo-slavery. First it was the garments and electronics, followed by automobiles and steel. Basically, if you can put it on a container ship, it was moved to pseudo-slave nations. Politicians take in PAC money from countries anxious to steal our business and Wall Street is more than happy to finance those endeavors for the exorbitant gains that will follow. Wall Street, the politicians and the investors prospered but what about the American blue collar laborer? He truly is the forgotten man. Wall Street is having a conniption over this government's efforts
didn’t happen over night. Fixing it doesn’t happen overnight either, especially if we are waiting for the perfect fix.
Use of natural gas as a fuel has lowered U.S. emissions. Instead of celebrating the victory, some groups work to eliminate natural gas without having a dependable, economical replacement. A poll last fall in Pennsylvania showed few voters willing to pay even $100 more to stop climate change. Studies show re-shoring more energy intensive manufacturing and using natural gas to produce electricity in the Shale Crescent Region of the USA reduces global emissions and costs to consumers. This may not be the perfect solution, but it is a good solution much like a marriage of two imperfect people. Good beats perfect every time because action beats inaction.
to do something for the forgotten man in America, and although I don’t like the damage that has been done to my 401K account, I applaud these efforts to close the Plantations that Wall Street and American business have worked so hard to build. Not that I believe the American energy business has any more of a conscience than other businesses but I’m happy that most all of our business is still rooted in America and supported by American workers. We are lucky that you can’t load natural gas and electrons on a container ship.
Help educate tomorrow's leaders and be a Science
Teacher Workshop Sponsor.
Summer Meeting
golf tournament will take place on the Old White course Tuesday, August 5, beginning at 12:30 p.m. To sign up for the tournament, please contact Jake Fullerton at (304) 536-7851 or jake_fullerton@ greenbrier.com.
For those not participating in golf or other sport ing events, join us for "Luncheon and Lewisburg." We will begin at noon with lunch in the Crystal Room. Following lunch, you will be transported to Lewisburg. Spend some time exploring Lewis burg, and you'll see why this surprisingly cosmo politan town of 4,000 people garners accolades. Lewisburg often appears on must-see lists for travelers. You'll find the town charming and the locals welcoming. The cost is $125 per person and includes lunch and transportation.
Your Summer Meeting adventure concludes Tuesday evening with an awards reception at the Outdoor Pool from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
A Mardi Gras dinner will follow the awards re ception, also at the Outdoor Pool, from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. This special evening concludes with music, dancing and our now famous fireworks!
To make room, golf or to make Trap & Skeet reservations, call 1-800-624-6070. Contact cyn thia_glover@greenbrier.com to book your room.
ern or later-day wells, it eliminates the removal of intermediate or surface casings for non-modern or older well and establishes requirements concerning plugs and casing perforation, establishes monitoring and documentation requirements, and finally exempts the removal of casing under certain defined circumstances. This bill passed the House of Delegates and Senate and completed legislative action on April 11, was sent to the Governor on April 22. Industry members view this as a positive and cost-saving development. We await his final decision. GO-WV supported this WVDEP initiated legislation.
Failed Legislation supported by GO-WV: Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 592 died on second reading in the House of Delegates on April 10, after having passed the full Senate on March 14. Senate Bill 592 sought to amend the Aboveground Storage Tank Act originally passed in 2014 and would have specifically exempted tanks having a capacity of 210 barrels or less, containing brine water or other fluids produced in connection with hydrocarbon transmission, storage field activities, or production activities, that are in a zone of critical concern. The bill was further amended in House Energy and Public Works Committee to include “that the secretary may not require any regulated tanks to be lifted, moved, or otherwise physically altered in connection with a visual leak detection program in the absence of a confirmed release: Provided, however, That in addition, the secretary shall allow the use of remote non-destructive examination technologies in connection with any required periodic physical inspections of tanks in order to reduce, to the extent possible, human entry to confined spaces. Then amended again so that the recordkeeping would also “include at least one geo-located and time-stamped photograph taken of the tank during routine inspections and kept for a minimum of 12 continuous months.” Existing agency rules allow for augmenting inspections through technological means, including photography and videography. To say the least, it was beyond disappointing to see this bill fail to pass after similar legislation had passed on two previous occasions. In the end, those opposing this legislation were many, with the final blow being data that was presented on the total number leaks and releases over a multi-year
period attributed directly to oil and natural gas facilities. A quantitative description of the nature of leaks, releases and resultant environmental effects was never provided. Given that it was very late into the Session, we were simply unable to overcome this negative perception. GO-WV was and remains in full support of this or similar legislation.
Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 899 died in House Energy and Public Works Committee after being passed by the Senate. HB-899 sought to protect coal and oil and gas minerals from carbon capture practices by requiring that before a permit application may be approved, the secretary shall require a storage operator design a carbon sequestration project to isolate any existing or future production from the commercially valuable mineral, including the coal or oil and gas estate, from the carbon dioxide plume. The application required evidence that the storage operator had provided notice of the proposed carbon sequestration project to the mineral owners, mineral lessees, and operators of any commercially valuable mineral within and contiguous to the project. The notice was to be in writing, include information regarding the application, boundaries, and horizons for the project, and include a copy of the notice of the hearing. In addition, the mineral owners, mineral lessees and operators of a commercially valuable mineral had the ability to object to the department regarding the design of a carbon sequestration project based on the potential adverse effect to the commercially valuable mineral. The storage operator would have needed to address the objection to the department’s satisfaction before proceeding with the application process. GO-WV supported this legislation.
House Bill 2736—died in Senate Energy, Industry, and Mining Committee without being considered after having passed the House Energy and Public Works Committee. HB-2736 would have ensured continuity of service provided by or through an underground facility to ensure the safety of the public and operator personnel. The bill sought to modify and improve the response times for an operator of underground facilities to respond within 48 hours, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal federal or state holidays with
Burd's Nest Continued on page 20
the 48-hour period beginning at 12:00 a.m. of the day following receipt of the notification by the one call system. In addition, the Underground Facilities Damage Prevention Board would have been granted the power and authority to investigate damage to underground facilities caused by an excavator, make findings, assess penalties, require training and obtain liens on the real and personal property of those persons who have failed to pay penalties assessed by the board. GO-WV worked with WV-811 and the Underground Facilities Damage Prevention Board on this legislation. GO-WV did not oppose legislation.
Committee Substitute for House Bill 3231 died in House Finance Committee after being amended in House Energy and Public Works Committee. HB-3231 sought to require producer/ operators to withhold estimated WV State Income Tax paid from natural resources royalty payments to nonresident lessors, with such tax withholdings being paid to the State Tax Commissioner on behalf of the nonresidents by the producer with a refund mechanism in place for any overpayment. In addition, it required annual withholding statements, reconciliation and provided filing requirements. Lastly it provided criminal and civil penalties in certain circumstances for non-compliance. Its companion bill, Senate Bill 840, was not taken up in its Senate Committee’s assignment. GO-WV opposed both pieces of this companion legislation.
You can see from just the few pieces of legislation outlined here our challenges were many. Add to these the dozens of bills introduced that your lobby team reviewed, communicated our opposition to and then were never placed on a committee agenda or debated. Examples include bills that sought: enhanced bonding requirements for new oil and gas wells; adding additional annual well fees; prevention of geoengineering; breaches of fiduciary standards; prohibiting public utilities from terminating or disconnecting services; standardizing oil and gas leases, deeds, or contracts; the installing of air monitor devices near facilities that emit air pollution; assessing impacts of large water withdrawals; forcing utility companies to absorb certain maintenance and upgrade costs; recording notices regarding possible surface encumbrances overlying mineral parcels
under development; and the preventing of oil and gas wells from being orphaned.
This legislative session took many unexpected twists and turns. Balancing those twists and turns against the emotional swings associated with important legislation, that you sometimes have little to control over, is how you survive. Being tough is a necessity, but in a gentle way, mandatory. We can never lose sight of the fact that a lobbyist is only providing expert information in hopes of creating a desired positive outcome. However, that outcome is ultimately decided by those 134 individuals charged with the responsibility of pushing the green or red button. Observing vote counts in committee or on the House or Senate floor can sometimes be very tough to hear or watch—especially when what you’re hoping to achieve hangs in the balance a few votes!
While the legislative session was tough, it didn’t last forever, only 60 days, but only seemed like forever. In the end, the tough team of individuals in which you placed your trust did survive.
All this said, please let me again thank our Association leadership for its assistance and guidance and our lobbying team of Phil Reale, Jim Fealy, Daniel Hall and Philip Reale for putting in the long and tough hours. They started early, worked late and hung tough to the end.
member of the Ohio Oil and Gas Association and the Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program. In former roles, she was elected to the boards of the Oil and Gas Associations in Kentucky and Virginia. She is currently Chair of the WV Chamber of Commerce. A graduate of Marshall University, Maribeth lives in Huntington with her husband and has two children in college.
and Wilcox Nuclear Power in Lynchburg, Va. From 1987 to 1995 he worked in engineering, storage and planning for Washington Gas Light Company in Washington D.C. He is a past president of WVONGA. Crews received a bachelor’s degree in Petroleum Engineering from WVU and is a registered professional mechanical engineer in Virginia and Ohio.
Craig Colombo has over 38 years in the Oil and Gas Industry and is Vice President of Gas Supply for Hope Gas. Colombo worked with Dominion Energy West Virginia (DEWV) for 34 of those years, where he has established and developed countless relationships with producers and individuals in the oil and gas industry and the business community. During his years with DEWV, Craig was responsible for the procurement and contracting of natural gas supplies and the contracting of pipeline and storage capacity with multiple upstream interstate pipelines. Owing to a knowledge of the industry, gained over his career, Colombo has been called on to participate in State Regulatory proceedings as an expert witness and to testify before the WV House Energy Committee in support of producers of West Virginia. He has also served on the Board of Directors of the North American Energy Standards Board (NAESB) for over 14 years. NAESB serves as an industry forum for the development and promotion of standards which lead to a seamless marketplace for wholesale and retail natural gas, the business community, participants, and regulatory entities.
Jim Crews has been Vice President of Northeast Business Development for MPLX since 2011. Previously, he held various positions with NiSource Gas Transmission and Storage-NGT&S (and its predecessor Columbia Gas Transmission) from 1995 to 2011. From 1982 to 1985 he worked at Cabot Oil and Gas’ drilling and production division in Charleston, W. Va. In 1985 he served as a field service engineer for Babcock
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Jason Harshbarger Jason Harshbarger is the WV & OH State Policy Director for BHE GT&S (Berkshire Hathaway Energy Gas Transmission and Storage) for stakeholder engagement and relationship development with local elected and municipal officials, government agencies, community organizations and business groups. He also is responsible for the company’s philanthropical program across the ten states they operate in. Harshbarger is a 1997 graduate of Marietta College with a degree in Environmental Science and an emphasis in Petroleum Engineering. He has 26 years of experience in the energy sector and is a past member of the WV House of Delegates where he served on the following committees: Chairman of Natural Resources, Judiciary, Energy, Industry & Labor and was an Assistant Majority Whip. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for: the Gas and Oil Association of West Virginia (GO WV), Discover the Real West Virginia Foundation, Inc., WV Chamber of Commerce, WV Roundtable as immediate past chair, Harrison County Chamber of Commerce, West Virginia Damage and Prevention Board, and Governor’s One Shot. Harshbarger has worked in several areas of the energy sector from engineering to environmental compliance. Upon graduation, he began his career in the Gulf of Mexico performing formation evaluation and directional drilling then in 2000 he moved to Akron, OH to work in the environmental department at FirstEnergy. He later transferred to the Sammis Power Plant where he oversaw permitting and later becoming unit engineer. In October 2005, Harshbarger started his career with Dominion Energy in the environmental department, managing compliance for GO-WV elections
multiple gas transmission divisions and later in the gas storage department where he maintained the integrity of gas storage assets. In 2019 he was named to his current role as the State Policy Director. In November 2020 Jason moved over to Berkshire Hathaway Energy due to the acquisition of the natural transmission and storage assets from Dominion Energy.
Harshbarger has been active in state wide organization and in the local community where he previously served on the American Red Cross Central Appalachia Region, West Virginia Damage and Prevention Board, a volunteer for the Ritchie County 4-H Program, the Mid-Ohio Valley Technical Institute (MOVTI) Advisor Committee, the Ritchie County Economic Development Authority Board, and the West Virginia Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership as past president and corporate board treasurer. He was also selected as a member of the elite Young Guns Class of 2018 by WV Executive Magazine for his dedication to lifelong learning and service to the State of West Virginia. Jason and his wife Michelle live on their 680 acres family farm in the White Oak community that dates back to the mid-1800’s near Pullman, WV with their daughter Mackenzie.
siderable experience in corporate governance and reporting / ESG, complex commercial transactions, land/real estate, acquisitions & divestitures, financing, government investigations, and corporate workouts and restructurings. Mr. Sullivan graduated from the University of Kentucky with a B.A degree in History and received a J.D. degree from the West Virginia University College of Law. He holds licenses to practice law in several States, including Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Ben Sullivan is Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Legal & Risk Officer & Corporate Secretary of Diversified Energy Company. He joined Diversified in 2019 with oversight of the company’s legal, land/real estate, community engagement, and policy/governmental affairs functions and works with the CEO and board on risk, compliance, and governance matters. Prior to joining Diversified, Ben worked with Greylock Energy (an ArcLight Capital Partners portfolio company with extensive national holdings) and its predecessor (Energy Corporation of America) as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary with supervision of many business units. Prior to Ben’s tenure at Greylock Energy, he worked as counsel for EQT Corporation and in private practice. He is a member of the leadership and Board of Directors of several commerce, legal, and industry groups, and has con-
Eric Vir is the Chief Financial Officer of Pillar Energy LLC based in Charleston, WV. Prior to joining Pillar in June 2021, he served as Marketing Manager for Northeast Natural Energy LLC and various Accounting/Marketing positions for Energy Corporation of America. Mr. Vir has 20 years of experience working in the gas industry at companies that were either conventional, unconventional, or both. Vir is a past board member of IOGAWV and has been an active participant in the GOWV Producers Issues Committee & IOGAWV Commerce Committee for the past decade. He has been a West Virgina native for over 30 years and a graduate of University of Charleston with degrees in Accounting & Finance. He resides in Charleston, WV with his wife Katey and has three boys Maxim, Myles, and Merek.
Chris Weikle was born in Charleston, West Virginia in 1981 to the wonderful parents of Phil Weikle and Debbie Phillips. Chris went on to grow up in Teays Valley where he lumbered through the Putnam County school system graduating from Winfield in 1999. Chris then spent eight great years in Morgantown attending West Virginia University. While eight years seems like a lot, he did go on to graduate in 2003 with a B.S. in Political Science and in 2007 with a J.D. from West Virginia University. After graduating law school Chris left West Virginia for a year to live in the coastal Charleston. He quickly realized the GO-WV elections Continued on page 23
error of his ways and returned to West Virginia to work in the legislature for the Joint Committee on Government and Finance. After that Chris was proud to work on the campaign and then serve in Governor Earl Ray Tomblin’s administration as Deputy Director of Public Policy. While in the governor’s office, Chris dedicated himself to education, energy and government efficiency. Chris reluctantly left the Governor’s office to join LGCR Government Solutions as the Deputy Director of Government Relations and Advocacy. At this firm he represented clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to small non-profits. Chris is now Director of Government Affairs for Expand Energy Corporation. He formerly held a similar position with Southwestern Energy. He has served on the Board of Directors at WVONGA, IOGA-WV and GO-WV. He has been married to his wife Kelly Matheney Weikle for over a decade and their two magnificent kids, Ainsley Jane and Landon Arlo keep Kelly and Chris on their toes.
Tom Westfall is currently the Vice President of Gas Supply and Technical Services for Mountaineer Gas Co. which includes responsibility for gas supply, transportation and exchange, gas control, dispatching and engineering. He joined Mountaineer in 1994 as a plant utility worker and has held a variety of positions at Mountaineer Gas including customer service technician, supervisor of administrative services, operations engineer, manager of gas support services and manager of gas supply. In these positions, he has gained a wide variety of experience in operations, customer service, engineering, regulatory and gas supply. Westfall earned his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from WV Institute of Technology and a Master’s of Science in engineering management from Marshall University. Tom lives in Charleston with his wife, Jennifer, and has two children, Dalton and Sydney, living in Morgantown.
Timothy K. Wilcox has spent the last forty-one years in the oil and gas industry in the state of West Virginia. After graduation from Wake Forest University in 1982, he worked for Peake Operating Company/Presidio Oil Company as a senior landman and vice president of marketing until 1992, drilling in excess of seventy-five wells per year. In 1984, he and his brother started Base Petroleum, Inc., a production and drilling company, that drilled in excess of fifty wells that sold in 2007. In 1992, he became President and CEO of Southern Public Service Company, a gas utility with over 6,500 customers located in five counties in West Virginia and later sold to Hope Gas. In 2017, he became a partner in AMCOX Oil and Gas LLC with the acquisition of over 600 wells located in southern West Virginia. He served on the Board of Directors of the Independent Oil and Gas Association of West Virginia from 19901993 and the West Virginia Small Public Utilities Association as President from 2014-2016, 20202022. He serves on the Edgewood Summit Board of Directors and is currently a Board Member at Large of the Gas and Oil Association of West Virginia and is an active participant on the Producers Issues Committee. Tim is married to his wife, Kip, has three children and two grandsons.
300 Summers Street, Suite 820
Charleston, WV 25301
Phone (304) 344-9867 Fax (304) 344-5836
