States are trying to reduce the increase in electricity bills

• States are developing new tariffs for data centers.
• The increase in electricity bills is related to demand for energy.
• Several states have already implemented measures to solve the problem.

In connection with the rising electricity bills, states are facing pressure to protect consumers from costs related to energy needs of large technology companies. This raises the question of whether states will be able to find solutions to reduce these costs. According to data from the analytical company Wood Mackenzie, 20 specialized tariffs for data centers in 16 states do not cover the costs of new electricity supply from natural gas, which indicates that other consumers may cover these costs.

Research conducted by Monitoring Analytics showed that 70% of the increase in electricity bills last year was related to the demand of data centers. Some data centers consume more electricity than the entire cities, which forces lawmakers to reconsider the system of distributing costs for electricity consumption.

Several states, including Pennsylvania and Oregon, have already begun implementing measures. Laws passed in these states provide for the development of new tariffs for data centers, which may be higher. They also consider the possibility that data centers should independently ensure their electricity supply to avoid financial burdens on ordinary consumers.

In the state of Indiana, for example, regulators have approved an agreement that establishes parameters for payments from data centers for electricity. However, as noted by an expert, without mandatory transparency of data centers regarding their electricity consumption, it will be difficult to assess whether they are covering their share of costs.

Tags: USA/Economy/Energy