As electricity bills rise, candidates in both parties blame data centers

As electricity bills rise, candidates in both parties blame data centers

The NewsGAINESVILLE, Va. — On Friday night, dueling candidates for a board of supervisors seat in this suburban county found a cause that united them: banning new data centers.“I think we should, personally, block all future data centers,” said Patrick Harders, the Republican running for an open seat on the Prince William County board. George Stewart, his Democratic opponent, agreed that “the crushing and overwhelming weight of data centers” was…

As Electricity Bills Rise, Both Political Parties Blame Data Centers

In a rare display of bipartisan agreement, politicians from both sides of the aisle are pointing fingers at the booming data center industry as electricity bills continue to climb across the United States. With the explosive growth of artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing driving unprecedented energy demands, data centers have become a convenient scapegoat for frustrated consumers and lawmakers alike. But is the blame justified? Drawi…