AI Data Centers & Your Power Bill
How the AI build-out is reshaping US electricity: data-center power demand nearly doubling from 2025 to 2028, and the projected hit to household and wholesale power prices by the end of the decade.
Gigawatts. Total US data-center demand is on track to nearly double between 2025 and 2028 as AI build-outs land.
View data & sources →Percent increase. Regions dense with data centers face the steepest hikes; the national wholesale range spans the low and high scenarios.
View data & sources →Data table
| gw | year | series | source_ref | value_basis | pct | label |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80 | 2025 | dc_demand | crs-dc-energy | US data-center combined power demand ~80 GW in 2025, projected to nearly double by 2028 | ||
| 150 | 2028 | dc_demand | crs-dc-energy | US data-center combined power demand projected ~150 GW by 2028 | ||
| price_impact | fortune-dc-costs | Virginia electricity generation costs could rise as much as 57% by the end of the decade | 57 | Virginia generation cost, by 2030 | ||
| price_impact | fortune-dc-costs | National average wholesale electricity cost could rise up to 29% by end of decade (high scenario) | 29 | US wholesale, decade-end (high) | ||
| price_impact | fortune-dc-costs | National average wholesale electricity cost could rise as little as 6% by end of decade (low scenario) | 6 | US wholesale, decade-end (low) |
Methodology & sources
Last updated: Jul 17, 2026Methodology
Two source-backed charts: US data-center power demand (GW, 2025 vs 2028) and the projected electricity-price impact (% increase) by region/scenario. Every numeric point carries a sources[].ref and a value_basis. Demand figures trace to CRS data-center energy analysis; the Virginia (+57% by 2030) and national wholesale (+6% to +29% by end of decade) price impacts trace to the Fortune / public-opinion reporting on data-center power costs. CAVEAT: price-impact figures are forward scenarios, not realized prices, and depend on how fast new generation is added. Ranges are shown as separate low/high bars rather than a single point. Re-verified 2026-07-17.
Sources
Comparisons are informative, not definitive. See each source for definitions and limits.
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