After Operation Metro Surge, Minnesota families face another strain: winter energy bills

For the many families still recovering from the effects of months of immigration enforcement in Minnesota earlier this year, the impacts of rising energy costs are another challenge to manage this winter. Community-serving organizations say they are seeing requests for help navigating Minnesota’s Energy Assistance Program earlier this year and from families who in the past would not have applied for aid. Beginning Oct. 1 each year, the EAP provides direct payments to utility companies and fuel providers to help families meet the burden of high energy bills. Already this year, more than 24,000 households statewide have received assistance, including 2,800 in Hennepin County. “Families are just barely scraping by right now because of the rising cost of everything,” said May yer Thao, president of the Hmong American Partnership (HAP). Nationwide, energy prices this winter could be up to 8.7% higher than last year, according to data from the National Energy Assistance Directors