West Virginia Code Chapter 8. Municipal Corporations § 8-19-3. Right of eminent domain; limitations

For the purpose of acquiring, constructing, establishing or extending any waterworks system or electric power system, or for the purpose of constructing any additions, betterments or improvements to any waterworks or electric power system, or for the purpose of acquiring any property necessary, appropriate, useful, convenient or incidental for or to any waterworks or electric power system, under the provisions of this article, the municipality or county commission shall have the right of eminent domain as provided in chapter fifty-four of this code: Provided, That such right of eminent domain for the acquisition of a privately owned waterworks system, or electric power system, or any part thereof, shall not be exercised without prior approval of the public service commission, and in no event shall any municipality or county commission construct, establish or extend beyond the corporate limits of said municipality or county line a municipal or county waterworks or electric power system under the provisions of this article to supply service in competition with an existing privately or municipally or county owned waterworks or electric power system in such municipality or county or within the proposed extension of such system, unless a certificate of public convenience and necessity therefor shall have been issued by the public service commission: Provided, however, That a municipality or county commission may not exercise such right of eminent domain over a privately owned electric power system or any part thereof for the purpose of acquiring, constructing, establishing or extending an electric power system.

Subject to the provisions of this article and notwithstanding the provisions of section nineteen, article twelve of this chapter to the contrary, a municipality or county commission may acquire, construct, establish, extend, equip, repair, maintain and operate, or lease to others for operation, electric generators or electric generating systems or electric transmission systems more than one mile beyond the corporate limits of such municipality or county line and said electric generation systems shall not be under the jurisdiction of the public service commission.