ATLANTA, GEORGIA — Georgia Power announced a rate freeze within the last year and agreed to use revenue from large customers such as data centers to lower costs for residential customers. The utility imposed six rate hikes in the previous three years.

The average residential bill in Georgia has risen over that period, according to Patty Durand, founder of the nonprofit advocacy group Georgians for Affordable Energy. "The average bill for an average customer used to be about $150 a month." she said. "The average bill now is $225."

The rate increases coincided with the Vogtle nuclear power plant coming online in Georgia and with growth in data center development in the state. The expansion of artificial intelligence has driven demand for data centers nationwide. New data centers are driving up utility bills in at least 13 states, according to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, and Americans who live near data centers are paying as much as 267% more per month for energy than five years ago.

Georgia Power denies passing the cost of data centers on to residential customers. "There is no risk that residential customers will end up paying for the costs of this large growth, including data centers," said Aaron Mitchell, senior vice president for strategic growth at Georgia Power. Durand disputes that position. "Data centers will add billions of dollars to costs to electricity rates in Georgia if we don't get better protection than we have right now," she said.

Carolyn Kayne, whose electric bills have almost doubled in two years, has turned off her heat and water. She lives in a small apartment at the back of her home. "I guess maybe it is time, you know, to give up my home," Kayne said.