Ken Ward Jr. - Salon.com

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice (Getty Images)

West Virginia governor’s coal empire sued by the federal government — again

Ken Ward Jr.

Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) heads to a vote in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol on June 8, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

Joe Manchin’s price for supporting the climate change bill: A natural gas pipeline in his home state

Ken Ward Jr., Alexa Beyer

West Virginia Governor Jim Justice (Saul Loeb/Getty ImagesWest Virginia Governor Jim Justice)

This billionaire governor’s coal company might get a big break from his own regulators

Ken Ward Jr.

This billionaire governor keeps firing top officials when he is in a crisis

Ken Ward Jr.

Roger Hanshaw (West Virginia Legislature)

He is West Virginia’s Speaker of the House — and a lawyer for natural gas companies

Ken Ward Jr., Kate Mishkin

$FILE- In this April 23, 2010 photo, workers move a section of well casing into place at a Chesapeake Energy natural gas well site near Burlington, Pa., in Bradford County. President-elect Donald Trump has not minced words about his approach to environment and energy policy: He loathes regulation, and wants to increase the use of coal, offshore drilling and fracking. (AP Photo/Ralph Wilson, File) (AP)$

West Virginia’s natural gas industry keeps pushing to whittle away payments to residents

Ken Ward Jr.

Another court ruling against a West Virginia pipeline, then another effort to change the rules

Ken Ward Jr., Kate Mishkin, The Charleston Gazette-Mail

“Jobs Alliance,” funded by Trump backer, tries to block gas plants that would bring jobs

Ken Ward Jr., The Charleston Gazette-Mail

A mountaintop removal mining site at Kayford Mountain, W.Va

One West Virginia county tried to break its dependence on the energy industry, it was overruled

Ken Ward Jr.