AI data centers use a lot of electricity. How it could affect your power bill

By Keith Romer

Published January 2, 2026 at 3:50 AM CST

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AI data centers require incredible amounts of energy to run. NPR's Planet Money investigates how that demand for power might affect your electric bills.

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Keith Romer

Keith Romer has been a contributing reporter for Planet Money since 2015. He has reported stories on risk-pooling among poker players, whether it's legal to write a spin-off of the children's book Goodnight Moon and the time one man cornered the American market in onions. Sometimes on the show, he sings.

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