Data centers have grown in recent years to support the rise of artificial intelligence, but the expansion has left many worried about rising electricity costs.
To combat this, U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland introduced a bill that would crack down on big technology companies to ensure they pay a proper share toward energy grid upgrades.
According to The New York Times, "electricity costs have steadily increased across the country in recent years, with the national average in October up 5% from a year earlier, according to data from the Energy Information Administration."
Lawmakers and citizens alike are stuck wondering how to best divide energy costs among individual consumers, regular businesses, and big companies that use data centers.
Van Hollen said his aim is to establish standardized rules across the U.S. so that the costs of maintaining data center energy usage won't affect the average American household.
"The Data Center Coalition, an industry association, said that the attention from state and federal governments highlighted the importance of the role [data centers] played in the 21st-century economy and that the tech industry was committed to covering its costs," according to the Times.
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As people in positions of power, like Van Hollen, emphasize protecting American consumers from energy cost increases resulting from data centers, it is clear that, as the AI industry continues to grow and change, more regulation will be required.
Artificial intelligence can make clean energy systems already in place even more efficient.
However, as the president of Microsoft, Brad Smith put it, "there's no denying that AI consumes large amounts of electricity. … While advances in technology may someday change this, today, this is the reality."
The massive energy requirements of AI services have led to a noticeable uptick in stress on the power system.
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$200 or more 💰 Additionally, it is crucial to note that while AI can contribute to a cleaner energy grid, it is also frequently powered by the same dirty energy it claims to avoid, including fossil fuels, which is a main contributor to climate crises across the globe.
Even though President Donald Trump has pushed for accelerated data center development, he acknowledged something must be done to keep costs down, saying, per the Times: "I never want Americans to pay higher electricity bills because of data centers."
Evidently, those in leadership roles have heard the public's protests against rising energy costs and are working toward solutions to mitigate noticeable consumer effects as a result of AI-focused data centers.
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