As Congress continues to debate cap-and-trade, the clock will soon start ticking on a measure aimed at energy and the environment in West Virginia.

Gov. Joe Manchin's proposal to boost alternative and renewable energy sources is among at least 20 legislative measures passed this year that become law July 1.

The plan sets 2025 as the deadline for tapping such sources for at least 25 percent of the electricity sold in the Mountain State.

But with 96 percent of West Virginia's power now derived from coal, the new law includes gasified, liquefied and waste forms of that fossil fuel under the alternative heading.

Other new laws will change the PROMISE college scholarship, aim to improve public schools and offer tax breaks to high-tech employers.