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PHOTO ESSAY: In a corner of Appalachia, soaring utility costs are surpassing rents and mortgages
Bills rose 73% since 2015, and more than one in three households now spend over 6% of income on energy, regulators said.
- Skyrocketing utility costs in West Virginia are eclipsing mortgage payments, forcing residents like Rebecca Michalski to take loans to keep lights on despite President Donald Trump's campaign promise to cut energy bills by half.
- West Virginia relies on aging coal plants for about 87% of its energy production, resisting cleaner alternatives. The Public Service Commission approved multiple rate hikes in recent years to fund infrastructure improvements.
- The state's average household electricity rate surged 73% between 2015 and 2025, according to the Public Service Commission. Bakery owner Heather Santee closed her business after falling behind on a $4,000 bill.
- Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced a $4 billion data center project in Berkeley County, yet residents like Anthony Crihfield Jones remain frustrated that bills stay high despite supporting Trump's "Drill, baby, drill" platform.
- An analysis by consumer advocacy organization PowerLines found that rate hike requests could affect more than 80 million Americans, with cost concerns expected to surface during midterms this fall.
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'Why is this so high?' Electric bills in West Virginia now top mortgages despite Trump's promises
West Virginians are angry and perplexed over soaring utility costs in one of the most energy-rich, yet poorest, corners of America, where families have been forced to choose between paying for food or heat.
·Washington, United States
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Trump promised to cut electric costs in half. Bills in energy-rich West Virginia now top mortgages.
West Virginians are angry and perplexed over soaring utility costs that are sometimes surpassing rents and mortgages. Some families have been forced to choose between paying for food or heat.
·Philadelphia, United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources44
Leaning Left21Leaning Right4Center16Last UpdatedBias Distribution51% Left
Bias Distribution
- 51% of the sources lean Left
51% Left
L 51%
C 39%
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