AI-Usage Increases A Need For Data Centers, The Boom Is Showing Up On Your Utility Bills
According to Carnegie Mellon University and North Carolina State University, data center and crypto-mining electricity demand is projected to grow by 250% by 2030.
Black News 
The growing use of artificial intelligence (such as ChatGPT) has sparked a rising demand for data centers nationwide, and that data has to be stored somewhere. The more artificial intelligence is used, the more demand for data centers will grow, and with it, utility bills will rise.
According to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, new data centers are driving up utility bills in at least 13 states.
Americans who live near data centers are paying over 260% more a month for energy than just five years ago, a 2025 Bloomberg analysis found, but this could just be the tip of the iceberg.
According to a joint analysis by Carnegie Mellon University and North Carolina State University, growth in data centers and cryptocurrency mining could increase average electricity bills by 8% nationally and by 25% in some regional markets by 2030.
“Central and Northern Virginia face projected 2030 electricity cost increases exceeding 25%, the highest regional increase in the model,” the analysis notes.
Some Americans are already feeling the strain.
“I’m walking around in a ski suit trying to stay warm in the winter.” Atlanta resident Carolyn Kayne told CBS News during an interview. Kayne explained to the outlet that she turned off her heat and water to mitigate rising utility costs, which have doubled in her apartment over the last two years.
“The average bill for an average customer used to be about $150 a month,” Patty Durand, founder of the nonprofit advocacy group Georgians for Affordable Energy, added. “The average bill now is $225.”
According to Carnegie Mellon University and North Carolina State University, data center and crypto-mining electricity demand is projected to grow by 350% by 2030, and lawmakers must implement policy interventions to balance the benefits and costs for Americans who are already struggling to afford essentials like food, childcare, and housing.
According to a study by the Urban Institute, nearly half of American families cannot afford the true cost of living because the price of goods and services is outpacing earnings.
“Rising everyday expenses, including energy and transportation, are adding new pressures on households,” said Urban Institute researchers. “Residential electricity costs have increased faster than earnings across much of the country, leaving customers paying about $40 more in December 2025 on average than they did in December 2017.”
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