Ossoff investigating AI data center are impacting rising power bills in Georgia

Georgia U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff's office has launched an investigation into the impact of artificial intelligence data centers on rising electricity costs in Georgia and across the country. Senator Ossoff, currently running for reelection, sent a letter on Monday to Laura Swett, the chairman of the Federal Energy Reserve Commission, announcing the probe. In his correspondence, Ossoff highlighted that Georgians are experiencing "sky-high power bills" and expressed concerns that the proliferation of data centers could impose additional costs on families if adequate safeguards are not established. Ossoff pointed to over $4.5 billion in AI-related venture capital investments in Georgia since 2019, emphasizing that this rapid growth in computing power generates substantial new demand for electricity. While the Georgia Public Service Commission last year implemented rules aimed at protecting Georgia Power customers from bearing the costs of generation or transmission investments for data centers, it simultaneously approved a significant expansion of Georgia Power's electric generating capacity. Georgia Power, a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Southern Co., maintains that fears of higher rates are unwarranted, citing an electricity rate freeze and projections that data center revenue could help reduce future rates. During the recent legislative session, Georgia lawmakers debated measures for stricter rules to shield electricity ratepayers from these costs, but ultimately no bills focused on data centers were approved. Senator Ossoff is now pressing the federal agency to clarify how it plans to ensure technology companies "pay their own way" and what strategies it will deploy should new data center construction lead to higher-than-predicted utility costs. The agency has been given a June 1 deadline to respond to his inquiries.