COCHISE COUNTY, Ariz. (KGUN) – According to the US Energy Information Administration, the average cost of wholesale natural gas in 2022 was higher than in 2008.
Electricity companies have to adjust their rates according to what the current market is.
Sulfur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative is a non-profit organization serving Cochise County. The cooperative waited to pass the increased costs on to its members until after the summer high season to ease the transition.
“Natural gas prices have been high and volatile throughout last year and up to this point,” said Jason Bowling, CEO of the Sulfur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative. “This volatility has created a debt that we have to pay for the gas we have had to buy to power those generators.”
The best advice Bowling has for customers is to turn off the lights and save as much energy as possible to reduce personal costs.
“They will pay for higher natural gas prices,” Bowling said. “And when you look around the world, from Kansas to Kenya, we see energy prices rising, and natural gas prices are to blame.”
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——-Alexis Ramanjulu is a reporter in Cochise County for KGUN 9. She began her journalism career writing for the Herald/Review in Sierra Vista, which she also calls home. Share your story ideas with Alexis by sending an email [email protected] or by logging in on Facebook, or Chirping.
