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I would like to welcome all of our members and guests to the 2009 Annual Membership Meeting and Retreat of the Utilities, Telecommunications and Energy Coalition. We encourage your involvement and active participation throughout the next two days as we crystallize our legislative and public policy issues.
As most of you know, UTEC is still a young organization. After more than a decade as a loose-knit organization, we decided to formalize the association as a 501(c) 6 non-profit in 2007.
One of our primary goals as an association is to inform and educate government and business leaders on important public policy matters and issues of common interest to our members. We are pleased to have some of those leaders here with us today.
To give you some insight into who we are as an association today, here are some current statistics:
Together, UTEC member companies represent some of the state’s largest employers and tax payers, and our companies’ ability to operate successfully has a direct impact on every citizen of this state. As a whole, UTEC members provide more than 1.5 million WV residents with safe and reliable electric, natural gas, solid waste, telecommunications and water utility service.
With a gross payroll in excess of $750 million our members are among the largest state employers, and combined our membership pays more than $400 million in state and local taxes each year making us one of the state’s largest sources of revenue. Our full members employ more than 11,000 West Virginians at an average pay of more than $60K per year, with great benefits. When you add in the oil and gas associations and their members, it increases state and local taxes by another $125 million and adds nearly 21,000 more workers to the total.
Over the years, UTEC member companies have committed tens of billions in capital investment within the state and continue to invest today. Some recent examples worth noting:
• Earlier this year Allegheny Energy started construction of its new Transmission Headquarters location in Fairmont and is near completion of a multi-million pollution control investment at its Ft. Martin power station.
• Likewise, Appalachian Power has invested millions into pollution controls and initiated the state’s first carbon sequestration pilot at its Mountaineer Plant.
• American Water has acquired numerous rural water systems and improved the potable water supply to thousands as a result.
• Verizon has been a leader in broadband expansion and together with other telecommunications providers, including cable companies, has provided thousands of West Virginians with access to high speed internet access thanks to the millions invested in high speed capabilities.
• And many of our other members have invested millions on upgrading distribution systems and metering technologies.
Over the years, we believe our companies have been great partners with West Virginia, and as we are successful the state and its citizens have benefited tremendously. Our collective value to West Virginia’s economy is strong, and despite the state’s current challenges, we hope it’s possible to hold the line on business tax increases as this would only make it more difficult for us to continue o to invest in the critical infrastructure necessary to move West Virginia forward.
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