Juniper Valley homeowners face soaring electricity bills and soaring heating bills as wildfires burn
In California, a series of blazes is forcing residents to scramble for electricity.
But for some homes, the situation is even worse.
The Juniper Mountains in Southern California are a key test case of the rising costs of energy and heat.
A fire at the end of March burned through the Juniper Hills and killed nine people.
A week later, another fire tore through the hills, and the number of homes destroyed was nearly 2,000.
The fires were fueled by dry conditions, heavy rains, and strong winds.
The fires have forced residents to rely on generators to keep power on.
They can’t afford to buy expensive solar panels or wind turbines that they can’t use.
The average cost of a typical house in the San Joaquin Valley has soared by more than $5,000, according to data compiled by The Associated Press.
The high cost of power is partly driven by soaring utility rates.
Many of the most expensive customers have electricity rates that average nearly $50 per megawatt-hour, compared to the rate of about $35 for smaller customers.
The cost of electricity has jumped in part because the state has been using so much natural gas to cool the homes of residents and businesses.
A recent study by the San Francisco Chronicle found that gas prices have increased by more on average than the national average by about 30 percent in recent years.
A lot of people are worried about what’s going to happen if it’s a wildfire.
They’re worried about the loss of homes, they’re worried that the infrastructure that they have is going to be damaged, and they’re concerned about their livelihood.
They are scared.
They just have to get out of there.
It’s scary to be out there.