Cost of living impacts of AI

The data center industry has been freeloading off the ratepayers. We have been saying it for a decade – Elena Schlossberg

The rapid development of data centers connected to the largest US electric grid raised costs by $9.4 billion, an expense that consumers from Illinois to Washington, D.C, will see reflected in their utility bills starting this month – Bloomberg

• Increased energy demand of AI puts up energy bills for ordinary people
• Increased water consumption of AI puts up water bills for ordinary people
• Land grab for data centres puts up the cost of land / housing for ordinary people

“With data center construction on the rise and utility costs top-of-mind for many Americans, the Harvard Electricity Law Initiative reviewed 40 special contracts that state regulators have approved between utilities and data centers. If these contracts offer discounted electricity rates to data centers, and new power grid infrastructure is needed to serve them, other customers may end up paying for the shortfall through higher utility bills.”