Power Shut Offs are Rising as Utility Companies Run by Elites Turn the Electricity Off on More Americans, as Unpaid Bills Pile Up

From [HERE] Soaring electricity prices are triggering a wave of power shutoffs nationwide, leaving more Americans in the dark as unpaid bills pile up. Although there is no national count of electricity shutoffs, data from select utilities in 11 states show that disconnections have risen in at least eight of them since last year, according to figures compiled by The Washington Post and the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA). In some areas, such as New York City, the surge has been dramatic — with residential shutoffs in August up fivefold from a year ago, utility filings show.

In Pennsylvania, where Pellew lives, power shutoffs have risen 21 percent this year, with more than 270,000 households losing electricity, according to state data through October. The average electricity bill in the state, meanwhile, has risen 13 percent from a year ago, as utilities upgrade electric grids to accommodate a burst of new data centers, according to an analysis of federal data by NEADA, which represents state directors of energy aid programs for low-income families.

Overall, Americans are paying 11 percent more for electricity than they were in January, though that number varies widely: Costs have risen 37 percent in Missouri but have fallen in three states by as much as 13 percent, NEADA found.

“With prices going up so rapidly, electricity is becoming unaffordable in many parts of the country,” said Mark Wolfe, an energy economist and executive director of NEADA. “And it isn’t just lower-income households anymore; it’s spilling into the middle class.” [MORE]