{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/icymi-blumenthal-and-democratic-colleagues-demand-answers-from-trump-administration-as-data-centers-drive-up-utility-prices", "ICYMI: Blumenthal & Democratic Colleagues Demand Answers from Trump Administration as Data Centers Drive Up Utility Prices", "2025-11-11", "2025", "2025-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, DC] \u2013 In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) wrote to White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios and U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick about rising utility costs facing American consumers due to the buildout of power-hungry data centers. In a letter sent yesterday to Kratsios and Lutnick, Blumenthal and U.S. Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ron Wyden (D-WA), and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) demanded answers about the steps the Trump Administration is taking to protect consumers from the burden of new data centers that have driven up electricity demand and threatened water supplies in communities across the country.\n\n\u201cAs American families face soaring electricity bills caused by the Trump Administration\u2019s sweetheart deals with Big Tech companies, we write to demand information about the failure of the Administration to prevent consumers from being forced to subsidize the cost of data centers \u2014 costs compounded by the Administration\u2019s reckless abandonment and assault on new, clean energy sources,\u201d the Senators wrote.\n\nThe Senators continued, \u201cSince his second inauguration, President Trump has cozied up to Meta, Google, Oracle, OpenAI, and other Big Tech companies, fast-tracking and pushing for the buildout of power-hungry data centers across the country. The power demands of these new data centers are staggering and unprecedented: for example, Meta\u2019s new data centers, promoted during the President\u2019s dinner with tech executives, will consume up to 5 gigawatts each: the equivalent to nearly four million homes. National power consumption from data centers is projected to rise from around 5% to 12% within three years and adding to fears of more blackouts on burdened grids.\u201d\n\nThe Senators pointed to the Trump Administration\u2019s attacks on clean energy, which have made it more difficult to increase and diversify sources of household electricity sources, as contributing to rising utility rates, \u201cPresident Trump has hiked tariffs on critical energy infrastructure, expanded liquified natural gas exports that could push natural gas prices up by 30% by 20504 and undermined energy assistance programs that millions of families rely on. In addition, President Trump\u2019s attacks on wind and solar \u2014 the cheapest and fastest-to-deploy energy sources \u2014 through imposing burdensome regulatory requirements and revoking tax credits are driving up costs and prolonging timelines for deployment.\u201d\n\nThe Senators raised concern about how the buildout of new data centers have threatened water supplies for rural communities, \u201cSimilarly, data centers have become increasing burdens on water supplies, especially in rural locations, as they use water to cool servers and facilities.These sharp increases can have a devastating impact on consumers who must make significant sacrifices just to keep the lights on. As one Ohio retiree put it, \u2018I can adjust the thermostat to save money \u2014 I freeze in the winter and roast in the summer.\u2019\u201d\n\nThe Senators are also seeking information from the Trump Administration about any legal arrangements made with Big Tech companies to ensure that new data centers do not increase electricity rates or risks of blackouts. The full text of the Senators\u2019 letter is available here and below.\n\nDear Mr. Kratsios and Mr. Lutnick,\n\nAs American families face soaring electricity bills caused by the Trump Administration\u2019s sweetheart deals with Big Tech companies, we write to demand information about the failure of the Administration to prevent consumers from being forced to subsidize the cost of data centers \u2014 costs compounded by the Administration\u2019s reckless abandonment and assault on new, clean energy sources.\n\nSince his second inauguration, President Trump has cozied up to Meta, Google, Oracle, OpenAI, and other Big Tech companies, fast-tracking and pushing for the buildout of power-hungry data centers across the country. The power demands of these new data centers are staggering and unprecedented: for example, Meta\u2019s new data centers, promoted during the President\u2019s dinner with tech executives, will consume up to 5 gigawatts each: the equivalent to nearly four million homes. National power consumption from data centers is projected to rise from around 5% to 12% within three years and adding to fears of more blackouts on burdened grids. The Office of Science and Technology Policy itself has conceded that \u201ctechnological advancements of AI are increasing pressures on the grid.\u201d While the Administration has gestured at eventually adding some more power sources and improving grid infrastructure, it has failed to keep up with increasing demand. As a result, everyday Americans are already being forced into bidding wars with trillion-dollar companies to keep the lights on at home.\n\nAs electricity demand has increased, the Trump Administration has supercharged this cost-of-living crisis by making it harder to increase and diversify sources of household electricity sources. President Trump has hiked tariffs on critical energy infrastructure, expanded liquified natural gas exports that could push natural gas prices up by 30% by 20504 and undermined energy assistance programs that millions of families rely on. In addition, President Trump\u2019s attacks on wind and solar \u2014 the cheapest and fastest-to-deploy energy sources \u2014 through imposing burdensome regulatory requirements and revoking tax credits are driving up costs and prolonging timelines for deployment.\n\nDuring repeated, lofty announcements alongside Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman, Larry Ellison, and other executives, the Trump Administration has already failed to prevent those new data centers from driving up electricity prices from a surge of new commercial demand. Despite President Trump\u2019s promises to lower Americans\u2019 bills, since January, families have seen the average price of household energy climb by ten percent. In the Mid-Atlantic region, which hosts the highest concentration of data centers in the country, residential retail rates are projected to further increase between 30% and 60% in the next five years. Similarly, data centers have become increasing burdens on water supplies, especially in rural locations, as they use water to cool servers and facilities. These sharp increases can have a devastating impact on consumers who must make significant sacrifices just to keep the lights on. As one Ohio retiree put it, \u201cI can adjust the thermostat to save money \u2014 I freeze in the winter and roast in the summer.\u201d\n\nAmericans should not be expected to bankroll Big Tech\u2019s infrastructure through excessive electricity bills and threats to their water supplies. Given the significant and rising utility bills facing American households, we request answers to the following questions by November 21,\n\n2025:\n\nWhat steps has the Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Department of Commerce taken to measure the cost and burden to American households from increasing electricity rates and water supply use due to the buildout of new data centers promoted by the Trump Administration?\n\nWhat legal arrangements has the Trump Administration made with Big Tech companies to ensure that new data centers are not increasing electricity rates right now or increasing risks of blackouts, instead of waiting for future increases in electricity supply and upgrades to grid infrastructure?\n\nWhat legal arrangements has the Trump Administration made with Big Tech companies to ensure that new data centers are not imposing burdens or creating environment or health risks to water supplies?\n\nPlease provide a list of all companies that the Trump Administration has coordinated with on the buildout of new data centers, the locations of those data centers, and the estimated power and water usage of each data center.\n\nWhat national coordination has the Trump Administration taken to ensure that states and municipalities are aware of, and able to respond to, local regional increases in demand for electricity and water supplies due to data center build outs.\n\nWhat steps is the Trump Administration and its partners in the artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency industries taking to compensate American households for drastic increases in their utility bills?\n\nThank you for your attention to this important matter.\n\nSincerely,\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/icymi-blumenthal-and-democratic-colleagues-demand-answers-from-trump-administration-as-data-centers-drive-up-utility-prices"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7264211308211088, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}