Who is really footing the AI energy bill? Inside the debate about data center electricity costs

The companies building infrastructure for the AI boom are facing growing backlash over electricity costs, as households and policymakers question whether data centers are driving up power bills. A recent report claimed that market design and policy decisions play a greater role in these energy price increases than AI infrastructure growth alone. Communities that once welcomed tech investment are now pushing back against data centers amid concerns they are straining local power grids and raising costs for everyone else.