Ohio brick maker's power bill jumps 90% as AI data centers squeeze the grid

Factories' power bills surge

NEW YORK — For years, electricity costs for the Belden Brick Company in Sugarcreek, Ohio, had been relatively stable. Last year, they surged by 90% — largely because of rising power demand from data centers in the region.

Data centers drive up power bills for manufacturers

NEW YORK — For years, electricity costs for the Belden Brick Company in Sugarcreek, Ohio, had been relatively stable. Last year, they surged by 90% — largely because of rising power demand from data centers in the region.

Ohio brick maker's power bill jumps 90% as AI data centers squeeze the grid

A 90% jump in annual electricity costs at an Ohio brickmaker is underscoring how the AI buildout is tightening power supply on the regional grid. The sharp increase shows that the race to build data centers is becoming a manufacturing, affordability, and grid-reliability issue. What happened? At Belden Brick Company in Sugarcreek, Ohio — a business that has operated for 141 years — a monthly electricity capacity charge rose from about $1,600 to …