The mid-Atlantic region, home to many data centers, is expected to see a 68% demand rise by 2050
A new ICF report predicts a sharp rise in US electricity demand driven by artificial intelligence, electrification trends and growing data center usage. By 2028, overall demand could climb by 9%, with peak demand up by 5%.
This surge may lead to a 19% average increase in electricity prices, affecting consumers.
Notably, the mid-Atlantic region, home to many data centers, is expected to see a 68% rise in demand by 2050.
Ohio power dispute: Who pays for power grid upgrades?
A regulatory dispute in Ohio could determine who will bear the cost of upgrading the power grid to meet the growing energy demand from data centers.
Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta oppose a proposal by American Electric Power Ohio (AEP Ohio) to raise upfront energy charges for data centers from 60% to 90% of projected demand.
The tech giants argue that the proposal is unfair and discriminatory, while AEP Ohio claims it’s necessary to avoid passing costs to other customers. The hearing is set for September 30.