Affordability: Oppose Unchecked Datacenter Construction

Today I take pen in hand to write and urge you to support a moratorium on new datacenter construction until comprehensive regulations are established to protect constituents from rising energy costs and environmental harm. The datacenter boom currently driven by artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency is creating serious economic consequences for your constituents. In many areas, homeowner electricity prices have increased by 13% recently, and approximately 80 million Americans are now struggling to pay their electricity and gas bills. The affordability crisis is real as a side effect of this unchecked AI data center boom. Already nearly half of Americans report that the cost of living, including power costs, is the worst they can remember. This is not a partisan issue. Conservative voters in Georgia recently voted against Republican incumbents specifically over rising utility bills linked to datacenter expansion. The scale of this problem is only going to intensify if nothing is done. Electricity consumption from datacenters is projected to nearly triple over the next decade, equivalent to powering 190 million new homes. At least 16 datacenter projects worth a combined $64 billion have already been blocked or delayed due to local opposition centered on electricity costs and water consumption concerns. At current growth rates, datacenters could add up to 44 million tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere by 2030, equivalent to adding 10 million extra cars on the road. So, the climate and affordability are being affected at the same time. A coalition of more than 230 environmental organizations, including Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, and Food & Water Watch, has called on Congress to halt this largely unregulated expansion. Many constituents see no personal benefit from AI expansion but will directly pay for it through higher energy bills and water costs. I urge you to support legislation establishing a moratorium on new datacenter construction until regulations protect communities from economic burden, ensure adequate water resources, and prevent further climate damage. Your constituents need relief from rising costs, not additional strain on our power grid and wallets. Thank you.