Is your electric bill going up? AI is partly to blame

Is your electric bill going up? AI is partly to blame

toggle caption Getty Images/Emily Bogle/NPR

NPR's series Cost of Living: The Price We Pay is examining what's driving price increases and how people are coping after years of stubborn inflation. How are higher prices changing the way you live? Fill out this form to share your story with NPR.

What's the item?

Electricity

How has the price changed since before the pandemic?

Electricity prices have jumped 40% since February 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's a bigger jump than the 26% increase in the overall cost of living.

Why have prices gone up?

Demand for electricity has increased in recent years, partly because of all of the new data centers that are popping up to serve the artificial intelligence boom. Some old power plants have been retired, and utilities are scrambling to add new electric generation, while also making the power grid more resilient. Also, the price of natural gas used to generate electricity has increased.

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