"As some of us continue to calcify our brains asking ChatGPT to answer an email or blow up our lives for an AI side chick, othersare paying hand over fist for it via power bills. Wholesale electricity costs have increased as much as 267 percent since 2020 in areas near data centers, and consumers are emptying their pockets for the power companies."
"In Texas, data centers are unequivocally the largestnew source of power consumption. Bloomberg projects that the data center power demand will double by 2035. That would be equivalent to just shy of 10percent of the total electricity demand in the country, and would be the biggest increase since air conditioning became popular in the 1960s, both of which carry significantclimate change implications."
Wholesale electricity prices have roughly doubled in many regions near data centers over the past five years, driving higher consumer costs. Areas within 50 miles of data centers have experienced the most severe price increases. About two thirds of U.S. power consumption operates on state or regional grids, causing network expansion and maintenance costs to be passed through to residents and businesses. Baltimore saw a 125 percent wholesale price rise and average monthly residential bills rose by over $17 last year, with another $4 expected in 2026. Data center demand is projected to double by 2035 to nearly 10 percent of national electricity, amplifying climate and equity concerns.
Read at Futurism
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