Riley Moore, newly elected to represent West Virginia in the House, is far from the first Mountain State lawmaker to set energy as a priority issue in Congress.
But coming off of four years as state treasurer, the Trump-aligned Republican appears ready to attack the green energy lobby from a financial angle — by combating what he and fellow Republicans deem “woke” investing.
Moore — the nephew of Sen. Shelley Moore Capito’s (R-W.Va.) — built a national profile by opposing banks’ use of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in investing decisions. The ESG movement pushes investing in green energy rather than fossil-fuel-intensive companies — a policy that has proven unpopular in coal-heavy West Virginia.
In 2022, Moore made waves by banning five major financial companies, including Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase, from entering into government contracts because of their ESG stances. In May 2024, he banned four more companies, including Citigroup and TD Bank.
