APTOPIX Soaring Utilities Photo Essay

A railroad crossing is seen in the evening light, Thursday, March 12, 2026, in Ravenswood, W.Va., where some shop owners were forced to shut down during winter because they couldn't pay their electric bills. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

John White Jr. helps his daughter, Paisley, 3, zip her hoodie as his son, Malachi, 5, walks outside their home at the Lock 24 RV Park and Campground in Racine, Ohio, Saturday, March 14, 2026, across the Ohio River from the coal-fired Mountaineer Power Plant, near New Haven, W.Va. “In a winter season, I can say I pay a lot and honestly do not know how I do it. It has been hard,” said White Jr. who struggles to pay his utility bills. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)