距离中期选举不到一周，飙升的电费已成为竞选活动中的热门话题。
With less than one week to go before the midterm elections, soaring electricity bills have become a hot topic on the campaign trail.
美国能源信息署的数据显示，过去一年全美居民用电成本上涨了约5%。
Over the past year, residential electricity costs have spiked approximately 5% nationwide, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
美国广播公司新闻部的一项分析发现，在电费涨幅最大的前10个州中，有5个州存在竞争激烈的美国参议院选战。
An ABC News analysis found that in the top 10 states where electric bills have increased the most, five are home to competitive races for the U.S. Senate.
在缅因州，长期担任参议员的共和党人苏珊·柯林斯与民主党候选人特洛伊·杰克逊展开激烈角逐，该州电费一年内飙升了16%。
In Maine, where longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins is in a tight race with Democratic candidate Troy Jackson, electricity costs have surged 16% in one year.
在俄亥俄州，现任共和党参议员约翰·赫斯特德与前民主党参议员谢罗德·布朗正面交锋，过去一年电费上涨了12%。
In Ohio, where incumbent Republican Sen. John Husted and former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown are facing off, electricity costs are up 12% in the past year.
美国广播公司新闻部、《华盛顿邮报》与益普索集团利用益普索知识面板开展的一项民调显示，全美范围内，如今57%的美国人表示其水电费难以负担，高于2月份的45%。
Across the country, 57% of Americans now say their utilities are unaffordable, up from 45% in February, according to an ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll conducted using Ipsos' KnowledgePanel.
电价上涨的原因有多方面，包括老化电网的高昂升级成本、州和地方层面的监管规定，以及消费者和企业（包括数据中心）不断增长的需求。
Electricity prices have been rising for several reasons, including costly upgrades to an aging energy grid, state and local regulations and rising demand from consumers and businesses, including data centers.
面对外界的反对声浪，科技公司和数据中心开发商承诺自行承担相关成本。至于数据中心是否会推高电费，现有证据不一，且因社区而异。
Tech companies and data center developers are pledging to cover their own costs amid the backlash. The evidence is mixed -- and community-dependent -- on whether data centers increase power bills.
10月20日，在弗吉尼亚州劳登县举行的一次县会议上，一些居民发言表示，电费上涨已难以为继。该县的数据中心数量超过全美任何其他地区。
At an Oct. 20 county meeting in Loudoun County, Virginia, where there are more data centers than any other region in the country, some residents spoke up to say the rise in electricity costs is unsustainable.
劳登县居民德里克·罗宾逊在接受美国广播公司新闻部采访时说：“就拿我这样的人来说，我的水电费从平均每月约250美元涨到了每月约850美元，而我们在全国各地都听到了同样的情况。”
"The fact that someone like me, for example, my utility bill is going from an average of about $250 a month to around $850 a month, and we're hearing those same things across the country," Derrick Robinson, a Loudoun County resident, told ABC News.
美国能源部表示，在成本上涨的情况下，个人可以通过一些方法来帮助减少用电量。
The U.S. Department of Energy says there are ways for individuals to help cut down on their electricity usage amid rising costs.
该部门在其网站上分享了相关建议，包括使用插线板并在不使用时将其关闭；密封门窗周围的缝隙以改善保温；将热水器调至华氏120度，并用温水而非热水洗衣服。
The department shares tips on its website, including using power strips and turning them off when not in use; sealing gaps around doors and windows to improve insulation; turning the water heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit and washing clothes in warm water instead of hot water.