Since 2017, Carpenter said her natural gas service has been shut off twice by her utility provider, Peoples Gas, because she’s been unable to pay bills. In fact, nearly 49% of residents are behind on bills in the neighborhood, according to data filed by Peoples Gas with the Illinois Commerce Commission. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported in January that 2022 marked the highest annual average natural gas price since 2008. Last year also marked a 53% increase in natural gas prices from 2021, making it the fourth-largest year-to-year increase on record. Utilities like Peoples Gas are devoting more and more funds to over-budget infrastructure projects that will continue their reliance on fossil fuels.

Source: New York Times July 17, 2023 09:40 UTC