Mark Wolf

I think this ties into the broader issue of affordability.

It's not just food.

It's not just the cost of rent, but now it's the cost of electricity that families are struggling with.

So about half the increase that we're estimating is from the fact that families just need to use more natural gas.

The rapid growth of data centers means that we need more electricity and about 40 percent

The feeder fuel to produce electricity is from natural gas.

People that didn't really pay attention to the utility bills in the past are now paying attention.

We're hearing from

You know, moderate income and even some middle class families are asking if there's any help to pay their bills.

We never saw that before.

It was usually just the very poor.

That there is a deep undercurrent of anti-trade sentiment in the U.S.

and that the U.S.

is going to pull back.

Several states have delayed their low-income home energy assistance programs, or LIHEAP, while they wait for federal funding.

Mark Wolf heads a group that represents the state agencies involved.

He says it usually takes the federal government about a month to release LIHEAP money after Congress passes a funding bill.

But that was before the Trump administration fired the staff that administer the program this spring.

The Department of Health and Human Services says it will work swiftly to administer the funds.

For NPR News, I'm Sophia Schmidt in Philadelphia.