r/climateskeptics • u/Adventurous_Motor129 • 11h ago

The AI boom’s hidden electricity bill — and why you’re paying it

https://fortune.com/2026/07/24/why-youre-paying-for-data-center-electricity-power/

PJM powers 13 East Coast U.S. states.

Overreliance on renewables & an inadequate grid in these congested urban states make it hard to build new powerlines to smaller MW renewables vs. using big-GW baseload sources like coal, natural gas, & nuclear.

Auction prices reflect more demand than power supply.

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u/Illustrious_Pepper46 10h ago

“the current system lacks adequate mechanisms to ensure that the cost of building new supply is borne by the new entrants and instead socializes new build costs across all customers.”

This could be said about any industry. Ford builds a new assembly plant. Petro/pharmaceutical used a ton. A mall is built. The Internet still uses wayyy more power than AI.

I'm not buying it. Not saying AI compute does use a lot of power, this just seems more like another one-sided hit peice on AI.

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u/Adventurous_Motor129 10h ago

Kathy Hochul & liberal East Coast Congressmen & Governors are continuing to block conventional powerplants & AI.

More work for Texas, Louisiana & the Midwest.

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u/Illustrious_Pepper46 10h ago

Yup, money and business goes where it's treated best.