West Virginia utilities say they can help fix the state's internet -- but you could end up paying for

State officials are weighing the imminent addition of a new surcharge on many West Virginians’ electricity bills.

But, unlike prior rate hikes, the money won’t be used for anything related to electricity.

Instead, it’s an effort to raise tens of millions of dollars to fund the expansion of high-speed internet into rural southern West Virginia, a region that has long been at the epicenter of the state’s broadband crisis.

The surcharge, which is awaiting approval by the state’s utility regulator, the Public Service Commission, will amount to little more than a dollar a year on most customers’ bills — at least at first. But it will likely rise significantly in future years as construction begins on the over $60 million project, which includes nearly 400 miles of new fiber lines in Mingo and Logan counties.

Read more: https://mountainstatespotlight.org/2021/05/19/west-virginia-rural-internet-access-american-electric-power/