Energy could be diverted away from people’s homes and into US data centres during times of grid stress, Donald Trump's ex-energy chief has warned. Asked directly what happens when supply runs short, Mr Chatterjee explained it could be disastrous for regular American households. "That's where I think the controversy starts," he added, pointing to surging electricity prices in regions where data centres are concentrated. Analysts at Bloomberg project data centres will devour close to a fifth of all US electricity by 2035 — roughly a fourfold jump from today's share. Mr Chatterjee went on to issue a blunt warning about who pays the price if the backlash against data centres succeeds in slowing construction.