The data centers powering the AI boom suck up so much energy, so fast, it's jacking up prices for nearby ordinary residents. Last year, Trump said: "Your energy bill, within 12 months, will be cut in half. ... But energy-hungry data centers have raised wholesale electricity prices for tens of thousands of cities, towns and suburbs around the US. Consumer electricity prices have risen an average of 6.5% over the past year across the US. Over five years, wholesale electricity costs have risen as much as 267% in areas near US data hubs. And the data center boom is only beginning.