CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK)– In 2021 and 2022, West Virginians saw high electricity bills. On Wednesday, the Energy authority hosted a meeting with AEP to figure out what caused the price increase.

According to research done by the Energy Authority (WVPEA), the increase was due to a reliance on imported energy during a time when it was very expensive.

Instead of being able to keep costs low by utilizing coal to produce energy, there was not enough coal available to produce a sustainable amount.

Research performed by WVPEA found four reasons that could have caused the lack of coal. AEP is currently working towards decarbonization, and Appalachian Power was just following that plan.

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Secondly, AEP may not have placed a large enough order for coal, or conversely, the coal companies did not provide enough coal to utility companies like AEP.

Lastly, the coal supply could have been impacted by external circumstances. Such as the Russo-Ukrainian War that began right around that time.

After the meeting, the WVPEA plans to work to create a preventative plan to avoid this from happening again in the future.

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