West Virginia has long been an important supplier of energy in the form of electric power and fossil fuels. In 1999, installed capacity (utility and nonutility) was almost 15.1 million kW; net generation of electric energy was 94.8 billion kWh, of which nearly 99% was produced by coal-fired steam units. Out of 26.5 billion kWh of electricity sold in the state in 1998, 35% went to residential customers, 23% to commercial, and 42% to industrial consumers. The state's power facilities are all privately owned. The John Amos Plant, on the Kanawha River, is one of the world's largest investor-owned generating plants. In 2000 West Virginia's total per capita energy consumption was 411 million Btu (103.6 million kcal), ranking it 11th among the 50 states.
Major coal-mining regions lie within a north–south belt some 60 mi (97 km) wide through the central part of the state and include the Fairmount, New River-Kanawha, Pocahontas, and Logan-Mingo fields. In 1998, West Virginia was 2nd to Wyoming in coal production, with 346 mines producing 171.1 million tons (15% of the national total), all of it bituminous and 68% of it mined underground. In 2000, 37.6 million tons were produced in northern West Virginia, and 120.7 million tons in the southern part of the state. West Virginia produced 4,000 barrels per day of oil in 2002, and 250.9 billion cu ft (7.1 billion cu m) of natural gas in 2001. Proved crude oil reserves in 2001 totaled 8 million barrels; natural gas, 2.7 trillion cu ft (0.08 billion cu m).