As electric bills rise, evidence mounts that data centers share blameAssociated Press/Marc LevyAmid rising electric bills, states face mounting pressure to shield household and business ratepayers from the costs of powering Big Tech’s energy-intensive data centers, driven by the AI boom. Data centers consume electricity equivalent to entire cities like Pittsburgh or New Orleans, prompting a reevaluation of traditional cost-sharing models. Here’s the thing: Many data centers are proposing to build their own gas-fired power plants to power them. Despite US and EU sanctions targeting Russian oil revenues, including new US tariffs on Indian imports for accepting Russian crude, markets anticipate minimal disruption to Russian oil flows to major buyers like China and India. Analysts suggest a truce would have a limited bearish effect on oil prices unless sanctions are lifted.