Is AI Really Driving Up Your Electric Bill? What it Means for the Tri-State Area

Electricity bills are climbing. That's clear, but is the explosive growth of artificial intelligence (AI) and the data centers that power it, One of the major causes? And if so, what does that mean for our communities around the tri-state area (Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia)?

On a national level, there's growing evidence that data centers supporting AI are placing significant new demand on the power grid:

The International Energy Agency (IEA) reports that electricity demand from data centers globally is projected to more than double by 2030, with AI-driven "hyper-scale" compute being the single largest growth factor.

Some regions near clusters of large data centers have seen sharp electricity‐rate increases and grid stress, as utilities seek to build new capacity or recover costs.

A Harvard Law School analysis found that because utilities are competing to attract large data-center customers (offering discounted power, etc.), there's risk that the cost burden shifts indirectly to regular residential customers.

In short... YES! AI and data centers are part of the upward pressure on electricity demand and bills. But they are not the only factor. Factors like fuel prices, infrastructure aging, regulatory costs, weather extremes for heating or cooling, and transmission constraints also play large roles.

Why Lordstown is relevant

Let's zoom into our region, because what's happening in Lordstown has implications for us locally.

Lordstown, Ohio was selected as one of the sites for the massive AI-infrastructure initiative known as the Stargate Project (backed by OpenAI, Oracle Corporation and SoftBank Group). The scale is immense and the implications for energy demand are real.

The project in Lordstown is described as "one of five new U.S. data-center sites" under Stargate, bringing that program to nearly 7 gigawatts of planned capacity.

Local reporting notes that the former GM plant location in Lordstown is being converted into an advanced data-center / AI-eco hub, which will have both manufacturing for AI servers and the data-center operations.

While some reporting suggests the data-center component in Lordstown may be "small" relative to the overall site development, the manufacturing and infrastructure demands still point to large energy and utility implications.

What this could mean for your electric bill

So how might this translate to your monthly utility statement in our region?

1. Increased local demand = potential pressure on rates. When a large power‐user enters a region, the utility may need to build or upgrade transmission lines, substations, or even generation capacity. Those costs are often recovered via the rate base, meaning some portion could eventually show up in higher residential rates.

The Harvard article notes that data-centers growth can indirectly raise costs for "everyone else" via the utility rate structure.

In areas with lots of new demand, utilities are requesting multi-billion-dollar expansions to meet it.

2. Timing of demand matters (peak vs off‐peak). Data centers tend to run 24/7. If they pull heavy loads during peak hours, that can drive up the "peak demand" costs the utility incurs, which are among the most expensive to serve and those are passed along in part to consumers. On the flip side, if they contract for low‐cost off‐peak power or build dedicated generation/renewables, the effect may be less.

3. Local vs externalized costs. Whether your bill goes up depends on the local utility, how the deal was structured, did the data center bargain for special rates? How the grid capacity is managed, and how costs are allocated. If the data center brings in new generation or upgrades without relying on the rate base, the impacts may be limited. For the Lordstown case, some local comment says the data-center portion may be relatively "small," suggesting the immediate energy‐demand impact may not be as extreme as a full-scale hyperscale facility.

4. Opportunity likewise. On the flip side, such large developments could bring investment in grid infrastructure, perhaps even new generation or renewables. That could benefit local ratepayers if structured in a way that avoids burdening the rate base. Also, job creation and economic growth in the region can offset some negative impacts.

What to watch in the tri-state area!

Here are key local questions we should keep an eye on and perhaps push our local utilities / regulators to answer:

• What additional megawatts (MW) of load is the Lordstown / Stargate‐hub expected to draw from the local grid, and on what timeline?
• What upgrades to transmission/substation infrastructure will be required—and whose cost is bearing utility, developer, ratepayers?
• Are there specific contractual arrangements or rate‐discount incentives offered to the data center that could shift cost burdens?
• Will the facility be paired with onsite generation. For example : solar, battery storage or off-grid/embedded infrastructure that reduces demand on the local grid?
• Is the local utility forecasting residential rate impacts (and when) as part of this development?
• Are there opportunities for demand-response programs or peak-time incentives for residential customers to mitigate the impact on bills for example, shifting heavy loads or participating in grid programs?

The Bottom Line is... YES!

The expansion of AI infrastructure, especially large data centers is a real factor contributing to upward pressure on electricity demand and, by extension, potential increases in electricity costs. But it's not the only driver, and the local impact depends heavily on how the hosting utility and developer structure the deal.

For Lordstown and our tri-state region, the arrival of the Stargate‐type facility signals that we may see these effects play out locally. However, because the scale of the data-centre component may be "moderate" in that specific site versus mega-clusters elsewhere, the effect may be less dramatic... At least initially. The key will be transparency and community oversight of how the infrastructure and cost burdens are managed.

So what are your thoughts on the Data center and have you already noticed strains on your electric bill?