Anger over soaring utility bills is shaking political fault lines, as electricity shortages and price spikes take center stage in nationally watched gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia — and threaten to haunt candidates throughout the country in next year’s midterm elections.

Cheap, reliable electricity is no longer a given, with an energy crunch taking hold far and wide, and forecasts showing no price relief in sight. Average bills have jumped over 10 percent since last year in more than a dozen states - with some seeing increases beyond 20 percent - and more rate hikes have already been announced. Voters are demanding solutions, bringing to the forefront issues that long simmered in the political background, including the massive expansion of energy-hungry data centers, obscu

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