Charleston Gazette-Mail
Who wants higher electricity rates?
Ask just about anyone, and they’ll agree that energy prices have risen. They’re not wrong. In recent weeks, there has been significant attention in the Mountain State on what is driving those costs. The question has no doubt arisen from people seeing their electricity bills steadily rise, especially since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic five years ago.
A review of data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration shows that electricity rates have risen for most states. For example:
Power rates have risen by a quarter or more in five of those states. Virginia has seen slower rate increases because of significant growth in Northern Virginia, and Kentucky’s increases are significantly offset by subsidies from the Tennessee Valley Authority, in the western part of the state.
With the backdrop of these prices, some politicians in the West Virginia Legislature have announced plans to introduce legislation that requires coal-fired power plants in West Virginia to at least run at 69% capacity all the time or forego the ability to recoup future costs.
The claim is that coal is a cheap fuel source and that such a bill will lower electric rates and put nearly 3,500 coal miners back to work.
If that sounds too good to be true, it’s because it is.