Make AI Data Centers Pay their Fair Share

I am writing to you today to express my serious concern regarding the growing electricity consumption of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers and its potential impact on the electricity bills of residential and small business customers in our state. The rapid expansion of these facilities is placing an immense strain on our electrical grid, and there is a critical need to ensure that the costs of necessary infrastructure upgrades are not unfairly borne by the public. AI data centers are massive, energy-hungry facilities. They require a staggering amount of power to run and cool their servers, with some reports indicating that a single data center can consume as much electricity as a small town. The demand from these facilities is a key driver of electricity demand growth, projected to potentially double in the coming years. The issue arises from how the costs of upgrading our grid to meet this demand are handled. It is common practice for utilities to "socialize" these costs, in the form of higher rates. This model allows large tech companies to benefit from significant infrastructure investments without directly paying for them, effectively transferring the financial burden to everyday consumers. This is already leading to higher electricity bills for many Americans. Industry watchers and reports indicate that the increased demand is driving up wholesale electricity prices, which in turn results in sharp increases in monthly bills for all customers. I urge you to consider a new regulatory approach that would require AI data centers to pay a different, tiered rate for their electricity consumption. This would ensure that these companies are responsible for the infrastructure and generation upgrades required to meet their specific energy needs. Implementing such a policy would protect residential and small business customers from footing the bill for a boom that primarily benefits a few large corporations. Thank you for your attention to this critical issue. I look forward to hearing about your plan to address this matter and protect the financial well-being of your constituents.