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States feel pressure to address rising data centers' electricity use
BROWN COUNTY, WISCONSIN, AUG 9 – States develop specialized electricity rates as data centers drive rising power demand, with $9.3 billion in increased costs attributed to data center usage last year, regulators said.
- More than a dozen U.S. states are taking steps to address the rising electricity demand from data centers powering artificial intelligence and Big Tech.
- This surge follows increases in power prices, such as last year's sevenfold spike in the mid-Atlantic, and concerns over costs shifted to regular ratepayers.
- States including Oregon and New Jersey have passed legislation directing utility regulators to develop specialized or higher rates for data centers to limit impact on other customers.
- Research shows data center demand caused 70% of last year's increased electricity costs, but experts warn infrastructure costs for few wealthy firms may cause billions in unnecessary charges.
- These efforts highlight the challenge of ensuring data centers pay fairly while protecting residential and other ratepayers amid a critical push to modernize the grid and diversify energy sources.
11 Articles
11 Articles
As Electric Bills Rise, Evidence Mounts That Data Centers Share Blame. States Feel Pressure to Act
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Amid rising electric bills, states are under pressure to insulate regular household and business ratepayers from the costs of feeding Big Tech’s energy-hungry data centers. Join our WhatsApp group Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email It’s not clear that any state has a solution and the actual effect of data centers […]
Guest editorial: America needs more electricity, yet the administration stymieing wind, solar power
The U.S. economy desperately needs more electricity. Demand is projected to outstrip supply in the coming years, largely due to data centers powering artificial intelligence. That leaves the government no choice: To avoid an energy crisis, it needs to supersize…
By MARC LEVY HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Faced with rising electricity bills, states across the U.S. are under pressure to protect regular residential and business customers from the costs of powering Big Tech’s energy-hungry data centers. It’s not clear that any state has a solution, and the actual effect of data centers on electricity bills is difficult to determine. Some critics question whether states have the courage to take a hard line against …
As electric bills rise, evidence mounts that data centers share blame; states feel pressure to act
Amid rising electric bills, states are under pressure to insulate regular household and business ratepayers from the costs of feeding Big Tech's energy-hungry data centers.
Artificial intelligence transforms the world of technology, but it comes with a sharp rise in the energy consumption of AI that is felt on the bills of the Americans. As innovation advances at all speed, the electricity needed to spin these tools raises concerns about its sustainability and its economic benefits. With a planned increase of $29 billion by 2025, the AI recomposes our digital future, our environmental commitments (and our wallets).…
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