If you live in one of these 13 states, you might have a higher electric bill next year. Blame data centers.
It's not because of your roommate. It's not your window unit. It's actually Big Tech's fault.
Customers of the biggest regional power grid operator in the US could see their bills go up next year, largely due to skyrocketing demand for electricity coming from AI data centers.
Last week, PJM Interconnection closed its annual capacity auction with prices for wholesale electric capacity up 22% from 2024, another record-breaking year. As a result, monthly electric bills in PJM's territory, which covers 67 million customers, could increase up to 5% next year, the grid operator said.
PJM Interconnection territory spans thirteen states from the Midwest to the East Coast— including all or parts of Delaware, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
Every year, PJM's summer auction determines the cost of wholesale electricity for the following year. Though its territory doesn't cover the entire US, the energy industry looks at the PJM auction as a bellwether for electricity prices for the entire country.
PJM's territory includes Data Center Alley in Northern Virginia, home to the world's biggest concentration of data centers. It also includes areas of the country where data centers are rapidly expanding, such as Columbus, Ohio. The grid operator identified data center expansion as the primary driver of demand in its territory, which caused the jump in wholesale electricity prices.
After a decade of little to no growth, electricity demand in the US is expected to grow 2.5% annually through 2035, driven largely by data centers, according to the Bank of America Institute.
Utility bills are climbing faster than the pace of inflation, according to the US Energy Information Administration. That trend is expected to continue through the next year.
In Maryland, People's Counsel David Lapp has been urging state and federal regulators to intervene on behalf of residential utility customers and small businesses.
"We are witnessing a massive transfer of wealth from residential utility customers to large corporations—data centers and large utilities and their corporate parents, which profit from building additional energy infrastructure," said Lapp. "Utility regulation is failing to protect residential customers, contributing to an energy affordability crisis."
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12 minutes ago
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When customers fall for phishing scams or buy fake goods, many blame the brand itself. Even if they don't complain directly, they often just stop trusting. And when problems escalate, the marketing team must shift from growth strategies to damage control. Customer service teams spend time engaging with customers or individuals who purchased fake products unknowingly or spent money on a website and never received the item. What Brands Can Do To Stay Ahead Some early warning signs of brand abuse include: increased customer complaints via calls, social media, fake ads and phishing domains. The first step is aligning internal teams to ensure fast, coordinated responses. For companies handling a small number of incidents, some steps can be done in-house: • Manually report fake domains or ads using registrar or platform tools. • Secure obvious domain variations (like common misspellings or country-specific extensions). • Train frontline teams to flag anything suspicious shared by customers. But once fake sites start, proactive measures, including more advanced support and delivering a technological approach to move quickly, are paramount. Ultimately, safeguarding the brand in the AI era means staying vigilant, investing in the right technology and fostering a culture of rapid response. By taking decisive steps now, you can protect customer trust, minimize brand confusion and stay ahead of threats before they spiral out of control. Forbes Business Development Council is an invitation-only community for sales and biz dev executives. Do I qualify?
