Data centers added 9.8% to PJM power costs, billing 67M Americans, $29.4B so far
thealexbanks · x · 2026-11-16
Citing PJM's market monitor, Alex Banks notes data-center demand is raising power bills for over 67 million Americans.
- Data-center demand has added $29.4B to capacity costs so far
- In the first nine months of 2026 it pushed wholesale power costs up 9.8%, from $101.66 to $111.61 per MWh (counterfactual without data centers)
- December's capacity auction is projected to add another $5–10B
AI's electricity externality is flowing directly into household bills, a controversy set to intensify.
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