Keena

I am a fourth-generation coal miner's daughter, mother of three, entrepreneur, and longtime advocate for working families in West Virginia. For 15 years, I have worked in economic transition and energy policy - fighting to build a future that works for the people who live here.

Along the way, I gained a firsthand understanding of the policies, regulations, and financial structures that determine how electricity is produced, delivered, and priced.

I set out to learn the solar industry and develop an Appalachian-based contracting business capable of installing everything from residential rooftop systems to utility-scale solar projects.

My work involved commercial development, construction management, union labor, energy policy, and complex contracts with businesses and public institutions. I am a licensed general contractor, electrical contractor, and alternative energy specialty contractor.

I have also served on an ORNL committee for grid transition, contributing to discussions on the future of energy infrastructure in our region.

I believe West Virginians deserve greater transparency in how utility rates are determined, meaningful oversight of the costs passed along to customers, and an energy economy that delivers tangible benefits to the people who live and work here.

We are feeling the results of what happens when the authorities meant to protect us put powerful economic interests ahead of the people who live and work here. While hospitals and schools close, utility bills climb, and families struggle to make ends meet, we continue to watch wealth leave our communities. Both electricity and water rates have nearly doubled in the last decade, outpacing the national average by a lot.