4 days ago
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Impact of AI on electric bills
Electric bills are climbing across the country, jumping more than 20 percent in some states since last year. And as artificial intelligence becomes part of everyday life, consumer advocates warn the technology may be adding to the strain.
The AI boom comes with a hidden cost: data centers. These massive facilities house the servers and equipment needed to power the internet, cloud services, and AI tools. Since the introduction of ChatGPT a few years ago, Consumer Reports says data centers have been expanding rapidly across the country.
Nearly a thousand hyperscale data centers are reportedly in the works, and they require enormous amounts of electricity. Some can use as much power as a small city. That rising demand can put pressure on an already aging electric grid and may contribute to higher utility costs for households.
Consumer Reports says the conc...
