No, sir. Because West Virginia forces me to subsidize the state's coal industry, my electric bills are among the fastest rising in the nation
Answering WV’s publicity-seeking treasurer, Riley Moore
In his near-constant effort to be in the national spotlight, West Virginia’s treasurer, Riley Moore, recently asked the following question on Twitter:
They’ve been telling us for years that green energy will lower utility bills.
— Riley Moore (@RileyMooreWV) September 21, 2022
Has your electric bill gone down?
Last month, the Wall Street Journal examined the rising cost of electricity in West Virginia. (The article is also available here):
West Virginia’s Coal Dependence Drives Up Consumer Electric Bills
And the article’s subheading told us:
State generates more electricity from coal than any other in the U.S.
The WSJ article began:
Coal used to keep utility rates low in West Virginia. More recently, it has caused them to rise faster than in most other states.
It further explained:
While electricity rates have risen nationally due to higher costs for fuel and environmental upgrades, among other things, rates have risen faster in West Virginia than most other states, as the state has clung to coal generation.
I also checked green energy usage in West Virginia and, according to the most recent U.S. Energy Information only 6% of the state’s electricity came from renewables.
Riley Moore is once again playing loose with the facts. It doesn't matter to him, however -- this is all about the publicity. (As of 1 PM today, his Twitter post had over 700 responses and been retweeted around 800 times.)
