To accomplish the public policies and purposes and to meet the responsibility of the state as set forth in this article, the West Virginia public energy authority may initiate, acquire, construct, maintain, lease, lease with an option for the lessee to purchase, sell, by installment sale or otherwise, or otherwise dispose of, repair and operate electric power generating projects and transmission facilities, and may issue bonds for the purpose of financing the cost of acquisition and construction of electric power projects and transmission facilities which will be sold, leased, leased with an option by the lessee to purchase or otherwise disposed of to person other than governmental agencies or for the purpose of loaning the proceeds thereof to persons other than governmental agencies for the acquisition and construction of said projects or both; or if the electric power project is to be owned by a governmental agency request the issuance of bonds by the economic development authority, payable solely from revenues, to pay the cost or finance in whole or in part such projects: Provided, That the economic development authority shall not be authorized to issue any such bonds except by an act of general law, as provided in article fifteen, chapter thirty-one of this code. An electric power project shall not be undertaken unless it has been determined by the authority that the project will be consistent with the purposes set out in this article. Any resolution providing for acquiring or constructing such projects shall include a finding by the authority that such determinations have been made.

The authority is authorized and directed:

(1) To cooperate with the appropriate agencies and officials of the United States government to the end that any electric power project shall be so planned and constructed as to be adaptable to the plans of the United States.

(2) To apply to the appropriate agencies and officials of the United States government including the federal energy regulatory commission for such licenses, permits or approval of its plans or projects as it may deem necessary or advisable, and in its discretion and upon such terms and conditions as it may deem appropriate, to accept such licenses, permits or approvals as may be tendered to it by such agencies or officials and such federal or other public or governmental assistance as is now or may hereafter become available to it; and to enter into contracts with such agencies or officials relating to the construction or operation of any project authorized by this article.

(3) To proceed with the physical construction or completion of any project authorized by this article, including the erection of the necessary power houses and other facilities, instrumentalities and things necessary or convenient to that end, and including also the erection of such transmission lines as may be necessary to conduct the electricity; and including also the acquisition or construction of transmission lines or the use of such transmission lines, available or which may be made available, to conduct electricity to such point or points at which the electricity is sold by the authority to any person, corporation or association, public or private.

(4) To cooperate with and, when the board deems it feasible and advisable, to enter into contractual arrangements with utility companies.

(5) To purchase, when available, coal, natural gas or the by-products of coal produced in this state as the fuel source for all electric power projects.