"As Anthropic invests in more AI infrastructure, it says it will "will cover electricity price increases that consumers face from our data centers," per a post to its website this week. "[AI] companies shouldn't leave American ratepayers to pick up the tab." Data centers can hike electricity costs because they drive up electricity demand and they can require costly infrastructure upgrades, the costs of which get passed on to ratepayers."
"If you live near an AI data center, you may already be seeing higher electricity bills. But if that data center is for Anthropic, the AI company now says it will cover the price hikes consumers face. The data center boom unfolding across the country is driving up electricity costs and adding more stress to the power grid. That added demand means the grid needs serious upgrades, or even new sources of power."
Rapid growth of AI data centers is raising local electricity demand, increasing consumer bills, and stressing regional power grids. Increased demand often necessitates costly infrastructure upgrades or new power sources, with those costs frequently passed to ratepayers. Legislators and tech executives are proposing that AI companies bear those expenses rather than local residents. Anthropic pledged to cover electricity price increases that consumers face from its data centers and to work with communities, local governments, and federal officials to implement solutions. Data centers' high power consumption and infrastructure impacts are driving debates over responsibility and funding for grid capacity and upgrades.
Read at Fast Company
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