Duke Energy vows fair bills as data center surge raises cost concerns

Duke Energy vows fair bills as data center surge raises cost concerns

Duke Energy says residential customers won’t subsidize soaring power demand from AI-driven data centers, pledging contract structures that require large users to cover their full costs. Critics note bills are rising nationally as utilities upgrade grids. Duke proposes up to $105B in investments and seeks rate hikes opposed by state leaders.

Making the Most of Data Centers

Google Data Center, Council Bluffs Iowa. Photo: chaddavis.photography (CC BY 2.0) If you’d asked me three years ago, I would never have guessed energy bills would be a salient political issue in 2025, let alone one that politicians anchor their entire campaign around. But of course, the cost of energy is quite different today than it was a few years ago. Electricity prices have increased faster than (already-high) inflation since 2022, leaving r…