As his electricity bill soared in recent years, Martec Washington decided not to replace his broken-down car and started riding the bus. He has taken on multiple jobs, including scheduling surgeries and teaching hip-hop fitness classes. And he is trying to use less energy.
Yet his electric utility bill keeps climbing. In some months, he owes his utility company more than the $750 rent on his house in Charleston, W.Va.
“Electric bills shouldn’t be equal to rent or mortgage,” said Mr. Washington, a community activist who in 2022 lost the Democratic primary for mayor. “The bill is freaking ridiculous.”
West Virginia is awash in coal, natural gas and oil, making it the fifth-leading producer of energy in the United States. Yet the state’s electricity costs have risen much faster than the national average. Some energy experts say West Virginia is a harbinger of what could happen as President Trump champions fossil fuels and throttles renewable energy.
Trump administration officials have ordered aging coal power plants to stay open and pushed for the quick approval of new oil and natural gas projects. And the administration has denied permits or ordered work to be halted on renewable energy projects.
In the past few decades, generating electricity from coal has become much more expensive than other energy sources like natural gas, wind and solar. Coal plants are also relatively inefficient and expensive to maintain.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access.
Already a subscriber? Log in.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The post In Coal-Powered West Virginia, Sky-High Energy Costs Strain Residents appeared first on New York Times.
